Talking to your child about media coverage of tragedy

  • Sunday, July 20, 2014
  • Shona Innes Psychology

The world is not always a predictable place. Sometimes it can be just cruel and awful. This week, the incident involving the Malaysian Airlines passengers flying above the Ukraine has been a terrible example of the unexpected side of the people of our world. Our special wishes need to be extended to all of those who are some way involved or related to those who lost their lives in the tragedy.

News of such a tragedy usually starts to flood our heads and our homes via screens or over the sound waves.  Often, the updates are accompanied by graphic pictures on the television and in the papers.  Special updates interrupting normal viewing or listening habits. Our conversations and our tones of voice change. So, it is important that we are mindful of our children’s responses to these kinds of events. The way that we react can affect the way that they react and how they learn about the world and coping when tragedies occur.

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