The Dark Side of Childhood
Keep them smiling by being careful what they hear in your home
Do you let your child hear everything you hear on TV?
What About Your Child and Gruesome TV News?
What about your discussing the latest Casey Anthony murder trial now underway? Even if your child is within earshot of the discussions, they are left with questions that will either cause them untold fearful thoughts.
Are Your Children ‘Overhearing’ in the Next Room?
The age group that this covers would be anywhere from a precocious 4 year old to an older child. At the age of 7, I overheard my parents discussing the death of two girls who I had just come to know ‘about’ a few weeks earlier. Those two girls were tweens that had been stripped, raped and left dead in a ditch near their farmhouse. My connection was my father had taken us to their farm for a company picnic. I’d never met the girls that lived there, but my father brought me over to a side of their barn where they stored there unused toys. To my joy he said the girl’s father had said I could have the handmade dollhouse. We took it home, cleaned it up and painted it a fresh coat of white while my friend, Earl, watched.
When I overheard my parents talking about the girls, I couldn’t even think of a question to ask. It was pure shock hearing what happened to them. I’d been listening in the other room and all I could think of and picture was them lying in the ditch, alone. I don’t remember ever talking to them about it….I didn’t know what to ask.
What is Too Much Information?
Maybe your older children talk more openly with you as the parents. If you make any choice about the news saturated with Casey Anthony and your own conversations, make the choice to either turn it down or off when the children are around. If your child is older, you’ll need to talk about the ‘dark side’ of humanity. Remember, there is a point when it’s too much information.
How do you feel about protecting your children in their younger years from hearing such gruesome news?
it’s so important to shelter children from information that is too mature for their age. many times it’s hard for them to displace themselves from the occurance that’s on display.
we often will not even watch the news when our children are around. it seems that the first 10-15 minutes are always crime reports…why is that?
I hear you on that! The first 10-15 is probably when they count the ratings and we know the attention span of the viewers is so short, they have to be ‘teased’ into hanging around.
Good for you keeping an eye on what your children hear! Love the way you cut to the chase…”it’s hard for them to displace themselves from the occurance that’s on display.” Thanks for the well thought out comment, Heidi!
I agree with both you and Heidi. According to age (and development) I feel information, television shows, movies, topics of conversation, etc. should be censored and sensitive to limited understanding.
I was visiting in FL last year and recall nightly reports of the Anthony case. I have since returned to CA and admittedly lost track of what is going on regarding it and cannot believe it is still being dragged out.
I am thankful for your encouragement and sharing your heart.
Kindest regards.
Brook (Matt5verse6) recently posted..O You of Little Faith, Why Did You Doubt?
Brook,
Like you, I heard it being over-reported for quite a while.
Now that she’s on trial, every piece of evidence and inuendo is being presented to the jury. The news only brings out the sensational and the definition of sensational is far beyond what it once was.
Thank you for your thoughtful comments.
DonnaPerugini recently posted..The Dark Side of Childhood
We just had an incidence of this just this weekend. An old friend of mine brought her 3 year old daughter to visit at my parents’ house. The adults were joking around about the geriatric dogs (16 and 14 – the little girl was afraid of them even though they are both deaf and one is partly blind). There was mention of her dying at some point (while the kids were playing together). While we were eating dinner, the little girl turned around and asked me if the oldest dog was dead. She was just sleeping. Oops!
Sometimes those old dogs do look like goners!
Amazing what goes on in those innocent little minds. I wonder what she thought ‘dead’ meant.
DonnaPerugini recently posted..Hoard and Hide..the Two Evil Twins