Adventures in Parenting

Do you remember doing “current events” when you were in school?

I remember in the 5th grade, every Monday was traumatic for me. Our assignment was to cut out an article from the newspaper and summarize the story orally in front of the class on Mondays. I distinctly remember this because it was the most dreaded assignment in my entire school career. Not only was it difficult to talk in front of the class, but I had a hard time making sense of political news and world events on the front pages of the newspaper. All I could do was ch0ose some small piece of local news that was a filler in the obscure pages of the newspaper – a woman found her lost dog, or the grand opening of a store, or some other earth shattering occurrences like that. Well, at least I can understand it and got a passing grade.

It’s hard for children to relate to world news, yet it is important for them to know something of what is happening. As technology advances enable split-second communication from anywhere in the world, and traveling to the other side of the world takes less than a day with non-stop flights, it is indeed a small world after all. What happens in China directly affects us in the United States. Since our children can email friends across the world, they certainly cannot afford to focus just on their immediate surroundings.

In order to help our children have some understanding of the world they live in, make it a habit to talk with them about the news. We like to use dinner time to converse about the headlines. As we talk about the rising gas prices and what’s happening in the Middle East, my youngest daughter would ask questions. We talk about the presidential candidates, and how the election process works. It’s all very natural and casual. The best part is, there is no test on it afterwards.

When I was in the 5th grade, my family did not subscribe to the newspaper. I had to ask a neighbor to let me read their Sunday paper to prepare for my presentation on Monday. Nowadays, CNN, Yahoo News, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, every news source is at your fingertips on the internet. There are even non-traditional sources of news from blogs and commentators. There is no shortage of information.

As parents, we should not just depend on the school to educate our children. The home is where the best education can happen. By keeping informed of current events, we help our children see the bigger world, teach them about world economics and politics, and impress upon them that there is life outside their own city. When they study Social Science in class, or World History, or Government, our children will see that their textbooks have relevance to what’s happening today. While this may not directly affect their grade in the class, knowing more about the world does make them more knowledgeable. Our hope is that our children will be inspired to take an interest in making an impact in the world around them as they grow up.