When Kids Ask About Vegas…

As co-founders who delight in talking news with kids, we know that news stories can really vary. It is particularly challenging to write stories for kids when the news involves a tragedy or something horrific. While we agree with Mr. Rogers in that kids should always try to “look for the helpers” when they encounter something scary, we also know that kids will ask about tragic events like the violence that occurred in Las Vegas.

As parents we constantly grapple with whether or not we should talk about tragic events with our kids. Do we talk to kids about such events at all? Will stories like Las Vegas scare them? What if someone else talks to them and gives them incorrect information? All of these are questions we ourselves face as parents.

At Xyza, we do know one thing for sure. We are hoping to create a generation of well-informed citizens who learn lessons in tolerance, persistence, and openness from real stories around the world. This is why we are not afraid of talking about tragic news with kids. We want to share the world with our kids through news, be it good or tragic. Equally important, we know that across playgrounds, in classrooms, and at playdates, kids inevitably talk about what they hear around them. Part of our goal is to discuss tragic news because we want kids to be informed about important events from researched, fact-based, and appropriate sources, not from hearsay.

So while you know whether or not it’s best to discuss the tragic event that happened in Las Vegas, we will work on unbiased, kid-appropriate reports that can serve as a foundation for conversations like these. Plenty of resources talk about how to bring up such topics, but our guideline to parents is simply this:

Have a conversation.

Make parallel connections.

Share stories from your own youth or childhood.

And if you need to read a news report on tragic events together, we will be here for you.

Xyza: News for Kids was founded by two moms who couldn’t find a news source for their kids. Yes, there were newspapers, but none that were easy to read, easy to understand, interesting, engaging, and made just for kids! That’s why Sapna and Joann put pen to paper and began building out Xyza: News for Kids. Xyza is becoming a favorite go-to source for parents, educators, and kids alike because of its rich content and diverse news stories that helps to spark interesting conversations. Visit us at www.xyzanews.com