As war continues between Israel and Hamas, we’re taking a closer look at how parents and community members are speaking to children about what’s going on.
As images of the Israel-Hamas War circulate through TV and social media, children are likely to be exposed to it. Some community members are making sure they’re okay.
“Make sure that the children see the love and the safety and the security that we want to make sure that we have. They feel the connection and not live through the trauma.”
Rabbi Tuvia Brander with Young Israel of West Hartford says his congregation has been proactive in telling kids, especially teenagers, not to expose themselves to graphic or traumatic images.
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“There are things you can’t unsee. We’ve been talking to them. Encouraging them to stay away from those things,” he said.
Ingi Soliman, a child psychologist from Westport, says that’s a good move.
“I think social media gives kids too much at this point and it’s a great approach to sort of say, you can look away,” she said.
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She says for younger children like toddlers and grade schoolers, using examples from children’s movies can make concepts more digestible for them.
“Any way a parent can sort of say like ‘You know like in Frozen’ and then they can use examples the kids have watched or seen,” she said.
Ultimately Soliman says parents worry about having all the answers to their children, as long as they give reassurance.
“The best thing a parent can do if they don’t know is to sort of say, ‘We’re trying to figure this out too, but the most important thing is making sure you’re safe’,” she said.
Soliman also says parents should also give themselves time for self-care as their anxieties can be noticed to their children.
