The reality in Israel in recent months is not simple.
There is almost no family that has not lost a relative to one degree or another, or at least an old friend, and many have also been forced to evacuate their homes to hotels until the situation near the northern and southern borders calms down.
The images of the war flood the media - both the institutionalized and the less institutionalized.
What do we do to try to preserve the innocence of our children, and prevent them from becoming traumatized by the situation?
Psychologist Robin Gurwich talked about this with SciLine.
We enlisted the help of Claude to get the gist of it.
With young children, maintain a consistent routine and limit their exposure to the news.
It is likely that they will not understand events, but will pick up the parents' feelings very well.
Try to keep a normal appearance in front of them.
For school-aged children, initiate discussions by asking what they have heard about recent events - but in a way that does not lead to gossip, but to facts.
Gently buy false information, if any.
Accept their feelings without judgment.
Ask them how it makes them feel.
Teens may try to show disdain if asked directly about their thoughts.
Try to ask them what their friends feel about the subject or say about it.
This allows them to create a degree of distance between their feelings and the events and conversation.
Students also still need parental support.
Try to ask them about the reactions in the institution where they study.
Make sure they feel safe and know you are available to talk to them if needed.
Despite the need to respect children's privacy, parents still need to monitor the use of social networks by teenagers - especially in light of the many examples of hate speech being embedded in them during the war, when they were encouraged to check the information coming from social networks.
Sleep problems, irritability, loss of pleasure, lack of focus, and decreased performance in school may indicate anxiety, depression, or other types of trauma in the making.
Pay attention to them and offer additional support, while maintaining open communication.
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