We don’t have a TV in our main living space, and Jon and I almost never watch TV news (when we do, the kids are in bed or not in the room, because we watch in our bedroom usually after bedtime, and it’s because we’re following a breaking event or watching a live speech or something). I figure, they’re 5, and I don’t want to overwhelm them with the problems of the world just yet, especially since Claire tends toward anxiety. We talk about issues and events, but I just don’t want them exposed to wall-to-wall coverage or the sensationalism and graphic imagery so often part of TV news. This wasn’t even a super conscious decision to protect them from TV news, but more a result of my own awareness about my anxiety– I do better reading print/online news than watching it on TV, too. This has been especially true since the election.
I haven’t talked to them about recent natural disasters, but we were eating at a neighborhood Mexican restaurant last night, and they had a Mexican news station on TV. Of course most of the coverage was about the Mexico City earthquake. We had been eating when I noticed a concerned look on Claire’s face. “What is happening? Are those people dead? What happened to that building?” I realized she’d been watching the coverage, taking in the images even if she couldn’t understand the speaking, which to me had been background noise along with the oom-pa-pa mariachi music playing on the radio.
Embed from Getty ImagesHow to explain an earthquake to my worried child without causing her to develop a fear that one might happen to us? I told her there was an earthquake in Mexico City, and that a lot of buildings fell down when the ground shook. “Did people die?” Yes, some people died, but a lot of people are still alive in the rubble, and the people they are showing right now are the helpers. They are digging the people out and saving them. So many people will be helpers after something terrible like this happens, and we’re so thankful for the helpers.
Embed from Getty ImagesI don’t know if I got it right, but my general parenting philosophy is that following the advice of Mr. Rogers can never be wrong. He said:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'”
I don’t watch the news because it feels like the end of the world lately: earthquakes, hurricanes, shootings, nuclear war, and an evil man in charge of our country. I need to look for the helpers, too. I need to protect my children and myself, and I also need to help the helpers.
Some organizations we like to support include World Vision, Doctors Without Borders, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. Feel free to leave other suggestions in the comments. I’d also love to know if you protect your kids from TV news, and what age you think is appropriate for them to be exposed to it.
erniebufflo's south & west kitchen 
I forget that even now we as adults should look for the helpers when we get overwhelmed by the news and the state of our world. Thanks for the reminder.
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I love the “Find the helpers”! We do not have TV in our house. It actually started when my daughter w/ SB was born and we were trying to cut expenses. We finally said good-bye to cable when my children were 2 & 6 months. It was hard for me because some times I just need to “do nothing”. but it has been a blessing not to have that temptation to sit/watch TV and just let the kids watch. I was finding it harder & harder to even watch a “good show” without the commercials being horrible, wither it be a commercial for the next show or a video game. I have protected my children because I want them to be as innocent for as long as they can. Now that my oldest is in 1st grade…they have fire, tornado and “bad guy” drills. I know it’s a good thing to prepare in case it happens but I just hate the innocent of feeling like they “live a safe world” is gone. I was very prone to anxiety and being scared of everything as a child which has probably led me in the direction I have parent my children.
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