Rielyn Co

Do news reports frighten your child? In one survey, nearly 40 percent of parents said that their children had been upset by something they saw in the news and that, as a result, the children had feared that a similar event would happen to them or their loved ones. Why? One factor is that children often interpret the news differently from adults. For example, small children may believe that a tragedy that is  broadcast  repeatedly is really  happening  repeatedly. A second factor is that daily reports of disturbing events can distort a child’s view of the world. True, we live in “critical times hard to deal with.” But repeated exposure to disturbing news reports can cause children to develop immobilizing fears. Children who watch a lot of TV news tend to overestimate the prevalence of crime and may perceive the world to be a more dangerous place than it actually is. If disturbing news reports are affecting your children, what can you...