When international conflicts such as Russia invading the Ukraine hit the news, not only are you possibly overwhelmed, but you might be wondering what to tell the kids. Should you bring it up? If you think it's important to explain war to your children, how should you go about it? If you’re in need of some assistance, here are some ideas on how to talk about war with your children.
How to talk about war without causing anxiety
Resources: Books about war, and how your child can feel more in control
You know your children best, so make sure you’re keeping an eye on their distress levels. If your child is struggling or needs outside help, ask for help. It can be as simple as watching a parenting webinar on how to talk to kids about war or reaching out to mental health professionals specializing in children.
Books about war, or about dealing with the hardships of war, can add to your discussions:
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A helpful e-book called A Kids Book About War by Sarah Jones is available for free and in multiple formats.
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In his autobiographical book, The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, author Peter Sis talks about growing up under Communist rule and how he found salvation, hope, and joy through art and music.
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The story of a young refugee named Niko is at the center of The Silver Path by Christine Harris. Told through a series of letters to his penpal, Niko talks about fleeing his village with his mother during an unnamed conflict. While the realities of war are intense, a book like this can also spark empathy for children in other parts of the world who are living through adversity.
Suggest ways to help
One way to help combat anxiety is to suggest ways your child can act and take back some small measure of control.
“I tell my boys that what we can do to help is to find a charity group we can donate to to help the Ukrainian families who are now displaced refugees,” Nancy Hu Lu told Mom.com. “I asked my boys what would be their concern if they are refugees, and we decided to donate to the Airbnb foundation so that we can support Airbnb hosts opening up homes to host refugee families.”
