Equip Kids to Face Difficult News With Weekly Family Time

The stream of tough topics for parents to explain can feel unending: social unrest, hate crimes, natural disasters ... the pandemic. Many children and teens have struggled to process what they see at school, in their neighborhoods and on the news.

The Harding family, of Georgetown, Ky., confronts this challenge every Thursday night. Brian Harding, his wife, Valerie, and their young daughters, Brooke and Elin, set aside this night for a weekly family discussion.

In May 2020, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and prior to their move to Georgetown, the Hardings lived 15 minutes north of downtown Phoenix, Ariz. There they were surrounded by riots, looting, vandalism, and violence. The situation became so critical that the city was put under lockdown and a curfew imposed.

The Hardings' weekly family session — they call it “family worship” — was vital for providing guidance and security during that anxious time. Their 10-year-old daughter, Elin, recalled, “I was a little confused because I knew there was the pandemic, but I really didn’t know why we had to lock the doors for the pandemic. I was a little scared at first, but then we had our family discussion, and I felt better.”

Family nights also open doors for regular communication for the Harding’s 13-year-old daughter, Brooke. “We do feel comfortable coming to our parents during family worship, but this has helped me come to my parents at other times, more frequently than once a week,” she said. “It just helps me talk to them about deeper things.”

“We can’t change what’s going to happen in the world," Brian explained. "But when we get together regularly and talk about it, it feels like we're facing it together. We go to the Bible, to the jw.org website, we sing, we pray. When you specifically address things together at a set-aside time, that’s when you really come together on these types of issues.”

“Because we do it regularly, the kids know and look forward to that time," Valerie added. "They know it’s a safe space and free time. Brian and I don’t have our phones on. There are going to be no distractions. We get to see what’s on their minds or how they think.”

In an ever-changing and challenging world, experts recommend regular family discussions to help young ones build resilience.

“Good communication is essential for a child’s survival in this world,” said James Wright, a California-based family counselor and conflict resolution mediator. “Why not have a family discussion once a week and talk about what’s going on in your lives?”

The Harding family is not alone in holding to a set time to have family discussions. For nearly two decades, families of Jehovah’s Witnesses like theirs around the world have been encouraged to make “family worship” an uninterrupted weekly routine.

“For many of our families, their weekly discussions are among the most important hours of the week,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “It has brought thousands of our families closer together and helped children feel safe and loved.”

In hurricane-pummeled New Orleans, the Andrades address safety concerns with their two sons during their regular family worship night.

“On one of our family nights, we were able to put our emergency go bags together and practice what we would do if we were to get separated during a natural disaster,” said mom Ashley Andrade, who safely evacuated with her family before Hurricane Ida uprooted trees and downed power lines on their street.

Her family strengthened this routine in 2009 when Jehovah’s Witnesses reduced their midweek meetings from two to one, freeing up an evening each week for families to enjoy such time together.

“Meeting in large groups for worship is a Bible command, but the Bible also tells parents to make time to talk with their kids,” said Hendriks. “The change to our weekly meetings helped families to prioritize unhurried Bible discussions tailored to their needs.”

For the Cariagas of Lomita, California, their weekly discussion provided a time to promptly address racism when their three girls saw news reports about hate crimes targeting their Asian community.

“The articles on jw.org about prejudice and the video about anxiety were really helpful,” said mom Lorrie Cariaga, referencing free resources on the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses, where they often turn for practical and scriptural solutions to family concerns.

Along with serious topics, the Cariagas mix in singing, dramatic performances, and hiking in their family worship together. “Family time is like an open space; it's relaxed, and it's always fun,” said Sophie, 14.