Why I Let My Six-Year-Old Watch The News
In this new Trump era (shudder), one of the biggest decisions most of us parents have to make is whether to shelter our kids from the horror of the daily news, or not. This is something I struggle with everyday when it comes to my six-year-old daughter. On one hand, I want her to know what is happening in this country and around the world, because I want to raise an informed and aware child who will grow into an informed and aware adult. On the other hand, I don’t want my daughter to walk around anxious and afraid all the time. Therein lies the struggle, the push-pull between wanting to educate and wanting to shelter.
Here’s two reasons why I’ve made the decision to allow my daughter to watch the news, and one reason why I still limit her exposure.
1. I want her to know. I’m trying to raise a strong, independent, educated, compassionate human, and I want her to know that there are things worth fighting for. I want her to recognize injustice and speak out against it wherever she sees it, including in her current, daily life. I want her to know that there are people who seek to do harm but also so many of us who actively fight everyday to make the world a better place. I want her to care, because the only way things will finally change in this country is if we raise the next generation to fight for good. As a parent, I feel that it is my job to raise a loving and compassionate human, who knows of and cares about the struggles of the oppressed. By allowing her to watch the news, I am educating my child, and helping to shape the compassionate person I hope she will become.
2. I want her to come to her own conclusions, and not have everything she thinks come filtered through me. I hope my daughter grows up to be a passionate liberal and feminist like I am, but she’s not my puppet and I don’t want to tell her what to think. My hope is that by raising her to value honesty, love, and compassion, and encouraging her to stay informed, she will be armed with the basic tools needed to identify persecution, manipulation, and hatred, and act against those evils. She continues to inspire me again and again with her perceptive and straight-forward six-year-old way of interpreting daily events, and by allowing her to watch the news (yes, I know every news outlet has its bias but some are worse than others) and come to her own conclusions, I don’t feel like a propaganda machine shoving ideas down her throat.
And why I still limit her exposure:
1. I don’t want her to walk around anxious and fearful all day. She’s six. Childhood is so short. The time humans have to be wild and free passes so quickly. I want her to think about world events, but I don’t want her to think about them all the time. It is so difficult for us as adults to be in the moment and experience pure joy, and I don’t want to take that special aspect of childhood away from her. So I limit her news exposure. A few minutes a day is plenty. She doesn’t need to hear about every car accident or murder or rape. She doesn’t need to watch Trump spouting his garbage every day. But when it’s important - when I think there is a lesson to be learned - we watch the news together. Because I am someone who cares. And I want her to be, too.
Here’s two reasons why I’ve made the decision to allow my daughter to watch the news, and one reason why I still limit her exposure.
1. I want her to know. I’m trying to raise a strong, independent, educated, compassionate human, and I want her to know that there are things worth fighting for. I want her to recognize injustice and speak out against it wherever she sees it, including in her current, daily life. I want her to know that there are people who seek to do harm but also so many of us who actively fight everyday to make the world a better place. I want her to care, because the only way things will finally change in this country is if we raise the next generation to fight for good. As a parent, I feel that it is my job to raise a loving and compassionate human, who knows of and cares about the struggles of the oppressed. By allowing her to watch the news, I am educating my child, and helping to shape the compassionate person I hope she will become.
2. I want her to come to her own conclusions, and not have everything she thinks come filtered through me. I hope my daughter grows up to be a passionate liberal and feminist like I am, but she’s not my puppet and I don’t want to tell her what to think. My hope is that by raising her to value honesty, love, and compassion, and encouraging her to stay informed, she will be armed with the basic tools needed to identify persecution, manipulation, and hatred, and act against those evils. She continues to inspire me again and again with her perceptive and straight-forward six-year-old way of interpreting daily events, and by allowing her to watch the news (yes, I know every news outlet has its bias but some are worse than others) and come to her own conclusions, I don’t feel like a propaganda machine shoving ideas down her throat.
And why I still limit her exposure:
1. I don’t want her to walk around anxious and fearful all day. She’s six. Childhood is so short. The time humans have to be wild and free passes so quickly. I want her to think about world events, but I don’t want her to think about them all the time. It is so difficult for us as adults to be in the moment and experience pure joy, and I don’t want to take that special aspect of childhood away from her. So I limit her news exposure. A few minutes a day is plenty. She doesn’t need to hear about every car accident or murder or rape. She doesn’t need to watch Trump spouting his garbage every day. But when it’s important - when I think there is a lesson to be learned - we watch the news together. Because I am someone who cares. And I want her to be, too.
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