Do you let your children read the newspapers ?

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pheasantchick
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Re: Do you let your children read the newspapers ?

Post by pheasantchick »

Mine are only interested in the sports pages, or football to be precise.

The Japanese situation is on the radio and tv news, so even if your DS hadn't read about it, he would probably still hear about it. I think that realising that life isn't all cosy is part of growing up, unfortunately. Admittedly, I felt nervous watching the news last night. I'm glad I'm not in Japan at the moment.
hermanmunster
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Location: The Seaside

Re: Do you let your children read the newspapers ?

Post by hermanmunster »

Japan situation is awaful - can't believe the sight if the wrecked towns - boats stuck on house etc, where do you start clearing it up.
Have found general chatting about Japan working - interesting rather late appearance of the Emperor - I had wondered where he was .. compare this event with the hysteria for the Queen to appear on TV / in public when Diana died, the Japanese are now stunned that the emperor has actually made a TV appearance 5 days after the event - he simply would not be expected to.

Also chatting about the atomic bombs on Nagasaki / Hiroshima - phenomenal devastation and no help in clearing up afterwards (now Europe and US are putting Bone Marrow units on standby to manage radiation cases who may be flown in from Japan) - the Japanese became a phenomenally succesful nation after the bombs and can do it again.

Othe aspect is communication and how we know so much about what is going on (and so quickly) - thinking about the secrecy of chernobyl - the first we knew was when the geiger counters in the west started to show problems - the Soviets weren't going to let on..... Twitter / e-mail / i-phones / USGS / Tsunami early warning etc - all make a difference + english language where ever you go.
I remember first sights of Japan on TV - the Tokyo Olympics of 1964 - very very grainy TV pictures, by :shock: :shock: Sattelite!!! :shock: :shock: - breakfast time only and wonky music :lol: - anyone remember the theme tune ?? - replace ** with a well know video channel
http://www.**.com/watch?v=V6TmLx4xFeE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
scarlett
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Re: Do you let your children read the newspapers ?

Post by scarlett »

I'm wondering too where you would even begin the clear up ....you just can't imagine your town flattened like that and the debris moved around so much there's no trace left of your house......and then there's the radiation... lack of food/water ......aftershocks.....and now snow !! I have nothing but admiration for those who are at the front line so to speak dealing with the aftermath in between running for their lives every time there's another tsunami warning...and those also in the nuclear station.

Ds2 asked to watch the news this morning and had a lot of questions, but didn't seem upsept today.He asked if we can/do anything to help other countries and I guess it's nice he is sensitive towards other peoples plight !
Ed's mum
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Location: Warwickshire.

Re: Do you let your children read the newspapers ?

Post by Ed's mum »

I agree that access to quality news reporting is a good opportunity for children to learn and engage with current affairs.
My concern is that the media is incredibly good at whipping up fear. Even adults struggle to calculate the real risk of what is reported because of how things are reported. Does that make sense? And it's nearly all reporting of bad news. It used to really affect me when I was a child. I actually felt physically sick; and I don't think that news reporting has improved over the years.
I think 9 is too young to be reading many of this country's newspapers if I am honest. First News provides a much more balanced view of the world in a much more appropriate manner. Without dumbing down the important information.
Just my opinion.
marigold
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Location: essex

Re: Do you let your children read the newspapers ?

Post by marigold »

I am completely bemused that on a site dedicated to the education of our children that such a question would even be asked. I consider that as soon as a child learns to read they should be encouraged to read a newspaper and at several parents evening at primary school it was emphasised that looking regularly at a newspaper was an important part of learning.
One of mine reads the Guardian from cover to cover every day, far more thoroughly than I do and the others flick through each evening.
I am always available to discuss things which they do not understand but am very rarely needed. I remember as a child secretly reading the serialisation of Jan Morris's autobiography in The Observer and learning far more about gender confusion than is good for a ten year old but it never did me any harm.

PS In the above mentioned paper today there is a very good report on German society . Did you know that until 1979 there was an arcane law allowing German husbands to forbid their wives from going out to work if they felt the housework was not up to scratch and that if you have seven children the Chancellor automatically becomes the seventh child's Godparent and gives them 500 Euros. Fascinating.
Ed's mum
Posts: 3310
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:47 am
Location: Warwickshire.

Re: Do you let your children read the newspapers ?

Post by Ed's mum »

But surely being able to read does not correlate with being able to fully understand and cope with the information?
Example: a child could read the words about a mentally ill person opening fire on children in a school.
Will they understand about mental health issues?
Will they understand how rare this is?
Will they cope with what they have read?
Will they worry it will happen to them?
Will they think to discuss it in order to clear up misconceptions/lack of understanding?
Being able to read does not mean that the material is suitable reading.
hermanmunster
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Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Do you let your children read the newspapers ?

Post by hermanmunster »

marigold wrote:I am always available to discuss things which they do not understand but am very rarely needed. I remember as a child secretly reading the serialisation of Jan Morris's autobiography in The Observer and learning far more about gender confusion than is good for a ten year old but it never did me any harm.

.

I remember reading that too - absolutely fascinating and so well written. I find with books (partic autobiographies) that I can usually tell if they are written by a man or a woman.. TBH I couldn't in that case and then decided it didn't matter. As a book far more useful than anything I learnt at med school on the subject.
doodles
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Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: Do you let your children read the newspapers ?

Post by doodles »

I have to confess to being a bit of a news junky :oops: so Radio 4 is always on in the morning when DS's ( 12 & 8) are having breakfast and the news is always on when they come home. They are also have access to the paper (broadsheet) and we try to answer questions as and when they arise.

The Bang Goes the Theory special the other evening was very good and had them gripped.
scarlett
Posts: 3664
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:22 am

Re: Do you let your children read the newspapers ?

Post by scarlett »

marigold wrote:I am completely bemused that on a site dedicated to the education of our children that such a question would even be asked.

Maybe my post wasn't particularly clear, but I wasn't asking if children should read a newspaper ( Mine does as I explained ) but if at the age of 9 it was ok to let them read about traumatic events...my ds had been distressed by the events in Japan, but wanted to read avidly all about it.

Thanks for all your comments, everyone. :)
rachag
Posts: 209
Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 9:27 pm

Re: Do you let your children read the newspapers ?

Post by rachag »

DC have a nose over the times with me at breakfast each morning and some headlines I definitely divert from or turn over quickly. A natural disaster is one thing but intimacy with minors (paraphrased) and the beating etc leading to death (iykwim) of learning disabled and other vulnerable people is a whole different matter IMHO. Some quality papers are particularly lurid.
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