Loose Women panellist Nadia Sawalha has disclosed that her eight-year-old daughter, Kiki, is receiving therapy for anxiety, which she attributes to the couple's habit of discussing terror attacks and other distressing news in front of her.
Speaking on the ITV show, Sawalha admitted that she and her husband, Mark Adderley, have been 'oversharing' real-life horrors, leading to their daughter developing a vivid imagination and fears about safety. 'Today, and this does make me sad, I'm taking her for her first appointment to see somebody for anxiety,' she revealed.
The former EastEnders actress explained that children are 'like sponges' and absorb too much from adult conversations about current events. The discussion came amid reports that ChildLine has received over 100 calls from children as young as nine, frightened by the recent terror attacks in Paris.
Fellow panellist Fay Ripley admitted to similar struggles, while Gloria Hunniford noted that if adults find the reality scary, it is easy to imagine how terrified children must be. Sawalha's revelation highlights the growing concern over how exposure to news affects young children's mental health.
