Fatherhood Friday
Our household is a news-junkie household. Usually more newspapers, magazines and internet news sites and less television. I also work in the policy world. Through osmosis our kids (ages 7 & 2) get some expoure to the news.
And the news lately has been pretty big. I'm thinking in particular of the unfolding tragedy and disaster in Japan. While our seven-year old hasn't seen too many images and videos he has some awareness that something really, really bad has taken place.
Closer to home (we live in Wisconsin), we've been in the epicenter of the state budget/public union battles. This one truly hits close to home - my wife is employed by the state university, which means that our pocket-book will be directly impacted.
The question that ties these together is, how much should we discuss the news with our kids? In our case that means our seven-year old, but I'm also thinking about this more universally. (They won't be 2 & 7 forever, and its a pretty fair conclusion that more unpleasant news will be out there year in and year out.)
We talk a little about Japan at the breakfast or dinner table. I asked if they discussed it in his first grade class. (According to him, they didn't.) In my mind, Japan is a much more important topic for him to be aware of than Wisconsin. Even though Wisconsin is all around us and even though it will affect our personal bottom line its so difficult for young minds to process. On the other hand, the suffering in Japan - and ongoing nuclear disaster - is such a human condition.
Do you discuss these and other news stories with your children? How do you handle it?
(photo credit: thelegacybuilder.files/wordpress.com)
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