In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.

Philippians 4:8

We are in a very challenging time of life, where negativity seemingly rules supreme. If you turn on the radio you hear about the amount of covid cases and the number of deaths. If you turn on the news there is some sort of special report about protestors or cases in certain parts of the state. If you purchase a newspaper (my wife’s favourite thing to pair with a coffee on the weekends) the front page has angry articles about politicians and every page has covid numbers, opinions and policy. If you go onto social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram your feed will be full of diverse people with diverse opinions (which is a good thing) but absolutely littered with unimaginable amounts of hate.

As adults and parents, we are able to make the decision to engage with this material, but often our children receive the information we take in similar to secondhand smoke. Did you know for every 8 people who die from a smoking-related disease, 1 dies from secondhand smoke exposure? We know as adults that passive smoking is an issue and generally speaking most people go out of their way to keep the air children breathe smoke-free. We might not know it right now, but filtering the news for our children could potentially save them from passive anxiety or mental health issues.

If you speak to your child about ice cream for a day, what do you think their mind will be on? What will they dream about? What will they discuss with their friends? What will they research online? That’s right, they will most likely be google Mr Whippy or drawing a picture of gelati, or asking you to go the shop to buy some Bubble-O-Bills, which just so happen to be available in 4 packs now at Woolworths!

If you speak to your child about covid, case numbers, vaccinations, protests, lockdown rules, politicians and the failing economy for a day, what do you think their mind will be on? What will they dream about? What will they discuss with their friends? What will they research online? You can hopefully see how important being a filter for your family is.

This is why it is so important we discuss today’s world with a filter. If your children are concerned for their family or friends, why not offer to pray for those people or teach your child how to do it. If your children are worried about the lack of things they can do in lockdown, why not help them develop gratitude for all they have. For example, I am grateful for the yummy bun we buy from the bakery each Saturday after I always tell myself the day before “maybe I won’t have some bun this weekend as I have been eating a lot lately”! If your children are becoming obsessed with the news and case numbers, why not help them develop empathy and understanding for other issues around the world that they can impact through activism, donations, or support. They are never too young to grow a giving, outward heart. Filtered thinking involves searching for the good in life. This is a skill we can all help our children develop, rather than letting them develop a doomsday mentality. I know we are all very low on energy right now, but this is an investment into your child’s thinking that could pay dividends.

How can I filter for my family?

• Making a device-free time agreement with your children
• Setting a timer when children go on gaming devices
• Turning the news off when the children are around
• Turning down the radio in the car when the news comes on
• Choosing not to discuss Covid case numbers on a daily basis
• Selecting age-appropriate and positive shows for children to watch
• Phones away for the entire family by 8 pm
• No screen time just before bed
• No devices in bedrooms for children
• Families allowing younger children to use social media to supervise actively
• Discuss the positives of lockdown and remote learning (there are a few!)

TOBIN CUSS