BY BUCK RYAN
CITIZEN KENTUCKY

I feel the need to begin with a trigger warning. Nothing too traumatic, just the foul mouth of a teenager.

Here’s what one of my former star journalism students, now a mom, posted on Facebook:

Quote from my 8th grader (who asked to listen to NPR on the drive to school to follow news from Ukraine): “I feel like I might be happier now if I was an ill-informed dumbass.”I feel the kid’s pain, not to mention the anxiety of any parent with smart children curious about such a sad and horrific topic that seems impossible to ignore.

So how should parents talk with their kids about the Ukraine war? Are there valuable lessons that can be learned from what seems like a senseless conflict?

For an answer to the first question, I turn to Dr. David Schonfeld, of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Children and Disasters, who wrote a helpful article, “How to Talk With Your Child About the War in Ukraine,” for healthchildren.org. 

You know your child best, especially at what age such a discussion is appropriate. Here are some excerpts from Dr. Schonfeld’s article:

*Start by asking your child what they already know. Listen for misunderstandings or frightening rumors. Acknowledge that even adults don’t know all that is going on.

*Ask them directly about their worries, respond with honest reassurance and don’t discount their fears.