Talking with children about the situation in Ukraine

4 March 2022

Audio of the blog

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Welcome to our weekly CENMAC blog post

Talking with children about the situation in Ukraine | by  by Mary Long, CENMAC Deputy Team Leader 

 

Since the news broke about the situation in Ukraine, there is a constant stream of information available at all times via news outlets and social media feeds. Children and young people have access to all kinds of upsetting images and stories, which can cause fear and anxiety. Lots of the children and families that we work with will be affected by what is going on. There are many children with families and relatives from both sides of the conflict living in London  (www.bbc.co.uk/news).   

Mary Long, Deputy Team Leader

Children and young people have access to all kinds of upsetting images and stories, which can cause fear and anxiety.

CENMAC’s blog this week focuses on a selection of resources to support children with what they are seeing, hearing or feeling. 

  • A guide from Newsround on the historical tensions in the region and a clear and simple explanation of latest events: www.bbc.co.uk/newsround
  • Advice for children and young people from Newsround on what they can do if they feel upset: www.bbc.co.uk/newsround 
  • Ideas (mainly for parents and carers) around how to listen to and discuss children’s fears: metro.co.uk
  • A useful online game for releasing worries – children can write down their worries, attach a balloon and watch their worry float away: www.childline.org.uk
  • A guide from the Mental Health Foundation, on how families can support through conversations: www.mentalhealth.org.uk
  • Some helpful advice on how to spot mis- and disinformation, as well as some ideas on how to tackle issues in the classroom: educationhub.blog.gov.uk
  • General guidance, and links to Childline and The Mix helplines for children and young people who may wish to talk about their worries with someone other than school or family: www.childnet.com/blog
Image courtesy (c) BBC | Article by By Paul Murphy-Kasp | Children from St Mary's Ukrainian School in Holland Park, west London, spent their Saturday morning protesting against the invasion of their homeland
Image (c) Department of Education

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