A good mix of light-hearted and serious stories will fuel your child’s engagement with the world

When your child becomes curious about reports, how should you respond, asks Rhiane Kirkby
“Betrayed by the government?, ?Terror murder suspect released?, ?Got him ? the world?s most wanted man.? These are just some of the headlines that have appeared over the past few weeks and they?re by no means the worst. Little surprise then, that many parents feel it?s best to shield their children from the news. But is that the right thing to do"
Anna Bassi, editor of the newly-launched The Week Junior magazine doesn?t think so. In fact she thinks, in an age of 24/7 news and online access, it?s an almost impossible task and a potentially detrimental one. Anna believes that while every parent has the right to decide what to tell their child, ?you can?t wrap children up in blankets their whole lives.? In her experience, ?children will hear things from their peers ? often the distorted playground version ? and so it?s far better they hear things from their trusted source ? you.? Nicky Cox, editor of First News, agrees. ?News isn?t as easy to escape as when we were young and the family sat down together to watch Newsround. It?s around us constantly and if we don?t talk directly to kids, we?re doing them a disservice.?
So, when should you start introducing the concept of news to children" Both Anna and Nicky agree there?s no specific age as children are naturally curio...