Five important recommendations for taking care of children against unpleasant news
These days we are surrounded by bad news; From natural disasters to news of war and terrorist operations. The continuous flow of these news endangers the physical and mental health of adults, let alone children exposed to a high volume of this type of news.
According to Khabar Online, unfortunately, we adults often forget to protect our children from the negative effects of these incidents. But how can we take care of our children in this regard?
Children, especially children of preschool age, are very sensitive to unfortunate events. They always think that the same bad things might happen to them and their family.
Of course, babies and toddlers are not exposed to the physical and psychological threats of bad news. A little older children who have learned enough about their surroundings absorb this bad news and become very worried.
Despite the shocking news that surrounds us, it must be said that we can still take care of our children against them and not let the negative effects of this news bother them.
With the following methods, you can maintain your child's physical and mental health even in this stressful world.
1. Limit listening to the news
Avoid letting your child watch TV news as much as possible, especially if they are under 10 years old. When you hear bad news, don't talk about it in front of your children and even if possible, don't watch or listen to news programs in the presence of the child.
But on the other hand, you should not behave in such a way that the child feels that you are hiding. Rest assured that stealth is impossible in this era and eventually he will get the news. In fact, when you try to hide something from him, you scare him more and the child feels that he is in a very serious danger.
Instead, you can have an “age-appropriate” honest conversation about what happened. Of course, don't tell him the news in detail or lie about it. This makes the child more afraid and worried.
2. Be with them
When watching the news on TV, be with your child and help him to understand the topics he hears correctly and if he gets scared and worried, reassure him that those bad things are not going to happen to him.
Also, let your child talk to you about his feelings. In this case, you can teach him how to control his emotions. These valuable conversations help the child not only to control his emotions, but also to strengthen his emotional intelligence.
3. Not all news is bad
Tell your child that the mass media news usually talks about accidents and anything unpleasant that happens. In news programs, very little is usually said about the strengths and courage of people and the good news that may come. This does not mean that there are only bad events in the world. If we look around, we can find many examples of good events. In this way, the child does not feel like he is living on fire and may one day be caught in a disaster.
4. Make the child feel safe
Most children are very upset and worried when they hear bad news. In such cases, you should sit with your child in a place where he feels relaxed and ask him to talk about his feelings. In these conversations, you can teach him how to cope with his sad moods and control his bad feelings. You can even give him examples of when you were in a bad mood in the past and show him how you overcame that situation.
5. Distract your child with a new game or activity
Although you can't keep all the bad news away, you can distract your child with a new game or activity. At the same time, you will minimize the time you spend sitting in front of the TV. You can even play with your child to cheer him up after hearing bad news. In this way, he realizes that the world is not always scary and dangerous.
