Tips for Talking to Kids about the War in Ukraine

CLEVELAND – Kids may feel uneasy about the war in Ukraine and have questions about what they’ve seen and heard.

So, how do we approach the topic without stoking their fears?

Vanessa Jensen, PsyD, ABPP, pediatric psychologist with Cleveland Clinic Children’s, said for small children, it’s best to keep it simple.

“It’s far away and that’s something that grownups do — let the grownups take care of this right now, okay. We get to take care of you and then we’ll make sure the adults take care of that. So, sometimes you just need to simplify it,” she said.

She said violent images can impact kids of any age, particularly those who haven’t yet entered adolescence, and can crop up in nightmares and night terrors.

So, it’s a good idea to monitor what kids are watching and shield younger children from disturbing visuals.

And if they’ve seen something frightening, ask plenty of questions to try and get a sense of how much they know and what they’re feeling.

If they’re feeling unsafe, it might help to show them a map or globe and point out how far away Ukraine actually is.

No matter a child’s age, Dr. Jensen said kids may need more support and reassurance from their parents right now.

“In some way try to insert that little piece of, you know, if you see things or hear things that either you wonder about or that are kind of scary, let’s talk about it because I find it kind of scary; I find war very disturbing. And help them normalize those thoughts. It’s okay to feel kind of scared that this is happening in our world,” she said.

Dr. Jensen said sometimes taking action can help ease a child’s mind – like making a card for a soldier in the military, praying for Ukraine’s safety or simply sending warm thoughts and wishing them well.