What do we tell our children? It’s not easy as adults to make sense of the world so imagine trying to do that as a small child. Or as a grumpy teen, when you’re already trying to make sense of your own growing pains. How much should they know? How much is too much? And how can we help them navigate it all? We’ve rounded up a few resources for you to help you at this difficult time.
The BBC’s long-running Newsround website has some brilliant and informative resources for children. It covers topics such as why the war started, the key players, what’s happening and some good news stories too. It also has a great guide on what to do if you find the news upsetting. https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround#more-stories-2
The mental health charity Mind also has plenty of resources on its website aimed at young people between 11 – 18years https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/for-children-and-young-people/
Talk to professionals in children’s mental health about your concerns or even their school. Media outlets often have experts writing for them regularly giving advice. This article has much solid advice for parents
The charity Young Minds has a helpline for parents and support services for children. Their site has many resources to explore https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-helpline-and-webchat/
The common thread of advice seems to be keeping lines of communication open. Honesty with what’s happening and sharing how you are feeling. And of course, you’re not alone. There are parents, schools and organisations all trying to make this as easy as possible for the children. So ask around, talk to other parents and look up organisations that can help you. A quick flick through Google will give you lots of options.
Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash
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