?I don?t want to talk about that with my kids. I don?t want to ruin their innocence.?

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7 ways to reassure your child after frightening news events I have heard parents with young kids express this sentiment a lot lately, and I can?t blame them. The news has been so disturbing, between sexual-assault allegations, school shootings, acts of terrorism, and hateful rhetoric hitting us at every turn. And while Donald Trump didn?t start these fires?to borrow a phrase from Billy Joe?it sure feels like he?s throwing buckets of gasoline on them. I alternate between wanting to scream, cry and crawl under the covers. So, yeah, part of me wants to sequester my kids in a big, old bubble and pretend that none of this is happening. But I won?t do that. If I did, I would be leaving them completely unprepared, making them vulnerable to negative influences and potentially putting them in actual danger. Talking with your kids about difficult topics in the news in an age-appropriate way is an essential part of parenting?even if it?s also a really daunting one.
Now, before you turn on the 6 o?clock news to give your children a kiddie crash course in current affairs?well, don?t. According to experts, children under seven should be kept away from the news; you can intro...