Would you let your child watch the news?

Daily reports flood in each day covering gruesome crimes, political debates, war and conflict, so we ask...

- ASHLEIGH PAGE, KAREN SIMPSON

YES

'They need to understand the world'

Karen Simpson, 42, is a personal tutor who lives in Inverness with her husband Jared, 42, daughter Amy, 12, and son James, 10.

It’s so important that children have access to current events - it helps them understand not only the world around them, but parental decisions, too. For example, after the government debated banning smartphones in schools, I told my kids that I agreed and they shouldn't have one at school. My daughter Amy, 12, had her own opinions, but she understood I was making an informed decision, rather than just stripping her of a privilege at random.

The news encourages healthy debates in our household and sparks their curiosity, too. We sit down to watch it together and I encourage them to ask me questions. When James, 10, saw the news of the India plane crash recently, it led him to question me, his dad and his teacher about it.