The Session: How to talk with your kids about the news

Before we begin, a disclaimer.  This week's show was recorded before the terrible tornados that his the deep south, and before the terrible school shooting in Nashville.  It's a God-thing that this episode was released at this time.  It's our hope it helps you have conversations and share hope with your children.Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.”  4 Tips for Parents Talking to Kids About the News-by Tami Devine & Joannie DeBrito From Focus on the FamilyThose who still get their news from a televised news broadcast (as opposed to online articles or videos) might witness smartphone footage of violent interactions. They might see law enforcement officers interact with suspects, extremists setting police cars on fire or even shootings during protests. And local news often involves dramatic stories about homicides or kidnappings, among other things. These are stories made all the more disturbing when pictures of creepy mugshots flash onscreen. One moment you’re watching two smiling TV news anchors chatting about the weather; the next moment, graphic, violent images pass before your eyes.These stories can be hard for us to process as adults. Now consider all of these unsettling images from a small child’s perspective. Pictures like these can be terrifying for children in the room. Their natural thought might be, “Am I going to die from these things too?” Worry, anxiety and even depression could follow those thoughts.But here’s some good news: As a parent, you can help your kids sort through the news stories they might see on TV.If It Bleeds, It LeadsThe most dramatic stories of the day — and sometimes the most disturbing — are usually featured first in a newscast. When a tragic news story is unfolding live, especially if it affects many people, TV producers know you can’t look away.The more dramatic or devasting a story is, the more time a news broadcast will devote to it. This includes stories like violent protests, alleged police brutality, school shootings, or devastating weather. The 24/7 cable news channels cover these stories all day long in pretty much every show. Sometimes this includes the political opinion shows.As time goes on within a half-hour network or local newscast, you’ll notice that the stories become less violent and dramatic. Instead, producers will replace them with feel-good human-interest segments, weather, sports, and a lighthearted “kicker” story rounding things off at the end. They call it that because it can be “kicked” if the newscast is too long or if breaking news demands more attention.Tip #1: The first part of the newscast is when you or your kids are most likely to see the scariest images on TV. You might have heard the news saying, “If it bleeds, it leads.” And that’s still as true today as ever. This means so-called “hard news” stories with the most violent images will run at the top of the half-hour. And even if you’re not paying super-close attention, the “headlines tease” at the beginning of a local show tells viewers exactly what’s coming up in the first segment of a newscast.Young Children Don’t Understand ReplaysThe more dramatic a story, the more likely we are to see difficult images re-aired over multiple newscasts. Whether it’s a terrorist attack, a natural disaster, or even something like images of doctors and nurses treating sick COVID-19 patients, you’ll see certain footage time and time again.Adults naturally know that stations are re-airing this To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at [email protected], or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com