If you are homeschooling your child, it may be hard talking about current events when most of the news covers only the negative side of news. How much of it do you want to discuss with your kids? How much of the violence and sad part of the news do you want to include?
News as Discussion
We all most likely shy away from the news in some capacity, whether it’s from a lack of time, the news being too depressing, or a sense of not being able to do more. But that also does not mean we should not include talking about it with our children, in at least some capacity. Whether you are teaching current events to your children or simply want to talk about what was happening in the news that day, it can come as a form of discussion for your child. You do not want your kid thinking that current events are not worth discussing or that they are too taboo to discuss either.
Feeling the Current Events
People, especially children, need an outlet to be able to express their feelings and understand the world around them. If they hear about another school shooting, for instance, they may feel scared that it could happen to them, but they won’t have an easy way to talk about this if current events are not fully discussed at home. It is up to you as a parent to make sure they understand what the news is talking about and how it affects them on a personal level. The news is definitely glamourized, even the bad stuff, putting an emphasis on the negative events and actions of people and the world as opposed to talking about the good in the world. Be sure to explain to your kids at any age the importance of seeing the good in the world and in others, so they do not get caught up in the whirlwind that the news can create.
Teaching the News
The news can be a great way to discuss the current dynamic going on in the world, both in highlighting the positive and negative news that is happening. You can help your kids to dive deeper into the actions of people and explore the current reality we are facing. If your children are on the young side, it can also be a learning activity on bad and good actions, and to be able to discuss right from wrong with actual actions to help your child understand the world better.
Katie Kyzivat