The mess in the Middle East, the global economy, the Great Recession, unemployment, the presidential race, and a host of other big news are all over the TV, Internet and radio. While adults don't have trouble talking about the news, how do you get your teens to talk about it?
Right now, teenagers are really still children. They don't have to worry about current world events because, well, it's our job and world events are, like, totally boring. (eye roll here) To a degree, this is true. However, if parents are to teach analytical thinking, discussions of current events need to take place. These discussions ideally should happen at the dinner table, but can happen in the car or any other place where your child is a captive audience.
Some schools are encouraging teachers to engage students in these discussions. My own daughter came home and told me of the debate in class on the Republican presidential candidates. Talk to your child's teacher and see if conversations on current events are taking place in the classroom. If not, find out why.
It's really amazing how teens interpret the world around them. It makes them feel valued when you ask their opinions on issues in the news. Those opinions may or may not necessarily match yours. That's okay. Respect your child's thinking and have a great, insightful conversation. It beats nagging about homework.
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