(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
We know that many children have questions about what's happening in the Middle East, especially after the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Here are some thoughts about how to handle these sensitive discussions within your family.
- Answer kids’ questions honestly, directly, and calmly, without providing more detail than is appropriate for their maturity level.
- Limit children’s exposure to news reports intended for adults, as well as videos and photographs.
- Ask children what they know and what they think. Giving them a chance to share their thoughts helps them feel empowered, and letting them know you are there to listen is reassuring. If they are worried about something that is inaccurate, you can correct it.
- Show them a map of the Middle East and show them where Israel, Iran, and other countries are.
- Give kids opportunities to help. A few ideas for ways kids can make a difference with support from an adult: support a relief organization that is providing aid to those in need, write to an elected official, and reach out to others who are directly affected with kind words.
- Reinforce your family's values. You can say you are concerned for people in the Middle East and the members of the military who are involved and that you hope for peace.
