Media Literacy

How to Talk about Scary and Tragic News with your Kids

Delaney Ruston, MD
August 6, 2019
A teenage oy holding a hone in his hand  with two girls n the background

It is with such a heavy heart that I am sharing this piece I wrote again about how to talk to our kids and teens about horrible news. The internet and social media make it essential that we get in front of these conversations quickly.

The American Psychological Association’s guide to talking to your kids about difficult news is quite helpful. They, as do I, encourage parents to share their feelings with their children. It is not about burdening them with one’s anxiety or sadness or other emotions. It is about naming feelings and discussing them. This approach has been shown to be highly effective in helping youth develop greater emotional intelligence.

The APA says “It is OK to acknowledge your feelings with your children. They see you are human. They also get a chance to see that even though you are upset, you can pull yourself together and continue on.”

Psychologists generally say that small children, less than 5 years old, do not need to be told about these types of events. But, young kids now have such easy access to information on devices so we need to be mindful that they might be seeing much more than we know.

For older kids, the APA recommends: “Tell the truth. Lay out the facts at a level they can understand. You do not need to give graphic details.”

I believe it is important that we all make sure kids know how rare these tragedies are. In homes where news is on a lot, or where news alerts are readily visible on screens, youth get an inaccurate perspective of the frequency with which tragedies occur. Yes, bad things happen, but the key is letting our children know that for every negative thing, there are thousands of positive things happening. And, be sure at the end of the conversations that you reassure them that they are safe and that you are there for them to talk further.

For this TTT, let's talk about difficult news. Here are some questions you may find useful.

  • What feelings are coming up for all of us in this time of tragedy?
  • When you feel scared or concerned about news how do you process those emotions? Talk to friends? Write posts? Write in a journal? Talk to your family?
  • What can we do to honor and support those in need?

We would love for you to share this TTT any way that works for you, whether that’s on social media or via a newsletter. If you want to send it out in your newsletter we just ask that you credit us and link to our website, and let us know at lisa@screenagersmovie.com.

HOST A SCREENING to help spark change.
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Stay in touch with the Screenagers community on Facebook, Twitter and leave comments below.

Here is a video from the Screenagers YouTube Channel that talks more about this subject

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Join Today - Members can screen and view our movies year-round, access new lesson plans, resources and much more!

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Our New Movie - Learn more about the third movie in the Screenagers Trilogy

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Learn More
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Join Today - Members can screen and view our movies year-round, access new lesson plans, resources and much more!

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Our New Movie - Learn more about the latest movie in the Screenagers Trilogy

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The Screenagers YouTube Channel - Subscribe for new videos and content from our team weekly!

Learn More
Media Literacy

How to Talk about Scary and Tragic News with your Kids

Delaney Ruston, MD
August 6, 2019
A teenage oy holding a hone in his hand  with two girls n the background

It is with such a heavy heart that I am sharing this piece I wrote again about how to talk to our kids and teens about horrible news. The internet and social media make it essential that we get in front of these conversations quickly.

The American Psychological Association’s guide to talking to your kids about difficult news is quite helpful. They, as do I, encourage parents to share their feelings with their children. It is not about burdening them with one’s anxiety or sadness or other emotions. It is about naming feelings and discussing them. This approach has been shown to be highly effective in helping youth develop greater emotional intelligence.

The APA says “It is OK to acknowledge your feelings with your children. They see you are human. They also get a chance to see that even though you are upset, you can pull yourself together and continue on.”

Psychologists generally say that small children, less than 5 years old, do not need to be told about these types of events. But, young kids now have such easy access to information on devices so we need to be mindful that they might be seeing much more than we know.

For older kids, the APA recommends: “Tell the truth. Lay out the facts at a level they can understand. You do not need to give graphic details.”

I believe it is important that we all make sure kids know how rare these tragedies are. In homes where news is on a lot, or where news alerts are readily visible on screens, youth get an inaccurate perspective of the frequency with which tragedies occur. Yes, bad things happen, but the key is letting our children know that for every negative thing, there are thousands of positive things happening. And, be sure at the end of the conversations that you reassure them that they are safe and that you are there for them to talk further.

For this TTT, let's talk about difficult news. Here are some questions you may find useful.

  • What feelings are coming up for all of us in this time of tragedy?
  • When you feel scared or concerned about news how do you process those emotions? Talk to friends? Write posts? Write in a journal? Talk to your family?
  • What can we do to honor and support those in need?

We would love for you to share this TTT any way that works for you, whether that’s on social media or via a newsletter. If you want to send it out in your newsletter we just ask that you credit us and link to our website, and let us know at lisa@screenagersmovie.com.

HOST A SCREENING to help spark change.
FIND EVENT LISTINGS

Do you organize professional development in schools? We now have a 6-hour, 3-part training module. Request more information here Professional Development.

Stay in touch with the Screenagers community on Facebook, Twitter and leave comments below.

Here is a video from the Screenagers YouTube Channel that talks more about this subject

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