In this digital age, access to information is easier than ever before. While this has obvious educational and communicative benefits, the repercussions for an anxious mind can be quite serious, and particularly upsetting for children who may not appreciate the information as well as an adolescent or adult. Mental Health Foundation (UK) has put together a list of ten top tips to help you mediate ‘scary’ world news for children:
1. A news blackout is rarely helpful
2. Let them know the facts
3. Discourage overexposure
4. Let your children know they are safe
5. Let them know that it is normal to be concerned
6. Tailor the conversation to their age
7. Find the right time to talk about it
8. Leave lots of space for questions
9. Allow for repetition
10. Be as truthful as possible
Further detail about each of these tips can be found on the Mental Health Foundation article page: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/talking-to-your-children-scary-world-news.