In the words of Fred Rogers,”When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster’, I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”
This message from Fred Rogers is an important one to keep in mind. It seems that every time we tune into the news that we learn about another tragic event, events that young children should not be exposed to. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to protect our children from everything, but we can reassure them that they are safe when they see or hear about scary things in the media.
First, we can remind them of the idea from Mr. Rogers. Point out to them the people who are helping to make the situation better: police officers, firefighters, paramedics, or even the neighbor next door who volunteers to collects donations for the victims of the tragic event.
For other tips for keeping children safe from the scary images in the media, take a look at this post from the Erikson (TEC) Technology in Early Childhood Center: Keeping children safe from scary images on screens.
I train Georgia PreK teachers and dabble a bit in the art of blogging. Have an idea for a blog post? Email me at bestpractices@gsu.edu. On the web: www.bestpractices.gsu.edu Facebook: www.facebook.com/bestpracticespk Twitter: @bestpracticespk
