How to talk to a child about the war: advice on experience

Psychologist Elena and her 8-year-old daughter caught the war in Nikolaev. The man was abroad at that time, so the woman had to take care of the safety of the child herself and explain why his life had changed so dramatically.

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In interview for SVOI on channel 24Elena said that her daughter acted like an adult. And she was very worried about their pussy, which had just given birth to kittens.

Elena told the child everything as it is

The woman told her child everything as is and tried to calm him down. Since Nikolaev was shelled (and is now being shelled) often, and the family lives on the 9th floor, the girls had to go down and up and down for almost whole days.

Everything worked out automatically for us: when there was an air raid, we immediately took the cats into a carrier, a few backpacks and went down to the basement. The elevators didn't work. Therefore, we used to run up and down the whole day, – Elena recalls.

The woman told the child everything about the war and the enemy that attacked us. She warned that eventually she would have to move to a safe place. At the same time, she admitted that her 8-year-old daughter was not very worried, because her girlfriends were in the basement. She managed to get acquainted with everyone.

The children behaved as usual, and the parents, of course, were worried. I told her everything as it is. That we have a war, we were attacked by the enemy, we will need to leave for a safe place. She was worried about her beloved kitty, which we eventually left with my parents, – said Elena.

Now Elena helps other IDP children

Now Elena and her daughter are in Chortkiv. The woman works as a practical psychologist and other children of internally displaced persons come to her. She gives them consultations and classes.