Talking to Children about the War in Ukraine
Date: 4 Mar 2022
Talking to children about the war in Ukraine
PSHE education can help pupils to make sense of the world around them. While PSHE may not often focus on actual news stories, it does aim to develop pupils’ analytical skills and their ability to empathise with others, while exploring how the news can affect their feelings and mental health.
There are some teaching resources below that can be used to help children make sense of what they hear about in the news, including the current conflict in Ukraine:
News Wise lesson plans - Resources from the Guardian Foundation to help children (9-11) make sense of what they see in the news
Conflict and its consequences - Teaching resources from the Red Cross to help teach about conflict, including in Ukraine (KS 3 & 4)
How to talk to your child about the situation in Ukraine - Slides from Dr Anne Lane, a clinical psychologist, shared with parents by some Wiltshire schools to help talk about the situation in Ukraine
Help for teachers and families to talk to pupils about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and how to help them avoid misinformation. - The DfE have updated their Education Hub with a reminder to ensure our sources of information are reliable and not misinformed and provides advice on how to talk about the situation constructively with pupils.
Five ways to talk to children about conflict - Save the Children have updated their website to include advice for professionals and families
Worrying about Russia and Ukraine - Childline have updated their resources on anxiety
How to talk to your teenager about the invasion of Ukraine - Resources developed with the Anna Freud Centre and BBC Bitesize with suggestions for parents and carers.
How to support refugee and asylum-seeking children and young people who have experienced trauma - For professionals, the UK Trauma Council has a range of information and resources
