How to talk to your kids about Ukraine

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia causes worry and uncertainty even in children, who in one way or another also become aware of what is happening.

It is likely that many of the small have come across images of violence and, despite being far from these countries in conflict, they may have caused in them terror and nervousness.

Although many would prefer to keep them away from the sad events that occur in those countries, the truth is that it is very likely that in the same way they get to know what happens, says Lee Chambers, a psychologist who lives in the United Kingdom, in a CNN publication.

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For Chambers, it is possible to have a calming and developmentally appropriate conversation with your children about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, But it’s important to be intentional and watch out specifically for your child.

“I don’t think there is a one-size-fits-all approach,” he added. “All children are different.”

what your child watches

Although at this time we seek to be constantly informed, and many prefer to keep the television on, psychologists say that images of what is happening could have an impact on the children in the home.

Children are like sponges and often absorb more than we think, Chambers said. They may be paying close attention to images of bombs, missiles and violence, she added.

Attentive to the questions of your children

“Yes, you can tell but be sure to provide context”says Wendy Rice, a psychologist based in Tampa, Florida.

“If you have small children especially, look at the information with them, if you are going to see it, so they can ask some questions and you can talk to them about what’s going on,” Rice said.

Your children can be very curious, but if they’re not interested or don’t have questions, that’s fine too, he added.

make them feel safe

It is important that while talking to your children you remind them that they are safe, while using age-appropriate language and you avoid normalizing war, Chambers said.

“I feel it is important to make sure create a space as a parent for your child to feel calm before having that discussion,” he added.

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But creating safety shouldn’t come at the cost of invalidating your fears, said Chloe Carmichael, a psychologist in New York. “Sometimes what you need most is knowing that they can express their feelings to an adult and that someone will take care of them.

“If they say something like ‘gosh, I’m scared of this,’ we wouldn’t want to say something like ‘don’t be scared,’” Carmichael said. “What they’re feeling is really natural, so you can validate what they’re saying like, ‘Yeah, you know, this is a scary situation, but I want to know how I can help you feel safe.’”

Opt for comforting measures

It can also be helpful for children to explain that feelings should not be controlled until they are gone, and that “sometimes they can inspire us to take some kind of healthy action,” said Carmichael, author of Nervous Energy: Harness the Power of Your Anxiety (Nervous Energy: Harness the Power of Your Anxiety.)

A positive action could be search with your child for age-appropriate information, Chambers indicated. Rice suggests the option of completing tasks and projects to rraise money for charities supporting Ukraine or writing letters to soldiers, Rice added.

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then ask them How did that action make them feel? Carmichael said.

“Highlight that feeling and notice that there was that positive sense even though it didn’t fix the world,” he added.

Remind them that it’s okay to be a boy

This could be an opportunity to teach children to respond to stress by taking action and helping others, But it’s also important to remind them that they can still be kids and have fun, Carmichael said.

“Make sure to reinforce that helping others is important, but that they must also take care of themselves. Turn off the news, run outside and have fun together,” Carmichael stressed. (I)