Don, t give out your details

If you get a phone call, text or email from a company that claims to be your bank, or another institution, asking for your account information and other personal details, do not give them out. There are some pretty convincing texts and emails around that look official, but it is always best to call your bank (or other institution) direct or use their online chat service if you have any doubts. Also, according to ASIC, you should never click on a link or call a phone number in an email – always look up the correct number separately.

It seems barely a month goes by without some horrific event shocking the world. The Las Vegas shooting, terrorist attacks in Barcelona and London, and the continued mystery surrounding Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

It’s a lot for kids to understand, particularly when news is now pumped out 24 hours a day.

Psychologist Michael Hawton, author of Engaging Adolescents, says children have yet to develop mature minds and it is our duty as parents to shield them from events that cause fear and worry. So how do we do this?

SWITCH OFF

When kids see distressing news over and over again it can cause them to feel anxious, so Michael advises turning off the television or radio. ‘Try to minimise your children’s exposure to the news,’ he says. ‘Be especially aware that images seen on television or digital platforms have a particularly powerful effect on children.’ If you want to catch up on events yourself, then do it privately online, he advises.

ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR FEELINGS

If kids express feelings about what they’ve seen, Michael advises hearing their concerns before moving on to another topic. Acknowledging what they are experiencing helps children develop emotional intelligence, so give them a sense they’ve been heard. Michael suggests statements such as: ‘So, seeing those people made you feel pretty worried that it could happen here,’ or ‘If