SAN ANTONIO — Scenes of destruction and fleeing families across war-torn Ukraine has sparked curiosity among the minds of children around the world, including here in San Antonio.
But, how to go about discussing the Russian invasion with young people and its impact locally can vary from child to child.
San Antonio father Stephen Foster said he’s been peppered with questions lately by his 6-year-old son regarding the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.
“My little boy is always aware of something that’s going on, and I think kids pick up of what’s going on even if you’re not watching the news,” Foster said. “How do you answer those questions in a way that aren’t necessarily terrifying and terrible and also on some level honest?”
Dr. Elena Mikalsen serves as the division chief of pediatric psychology at Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. She grew up in Ukraine and moved to the U.S. at 17-years-old.
Mikalsen has invested time throughout the past couple several weeks, staying up to date on the events taking place in her home country where friends and family live in a state of unknown as Russian forces continues to advance.
“They’ve been experiencing bombings and shillings, but they seem to be in good spirits. The Russian troops are still far away, so people are really resilient over there as you can see,” Mikalsen said.
She advises adults not to voluntarily expose younger children in the U.S. to information about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, unless they ask specific questions.
“You are not in danger is kind of the big message,” Mikalsen said.
“If you have a child that’s struggling with anxiety or depression or any kind of fears about safety already, I would really try to not give them too much information, or just kind of reassure them that they’re perfectly safe.”
The humanitarian struggle experienced by families has captured the world’s attention. Relief organizations have popped up on the ground in Ukraine and neighboring countries to assist those impacted by the conflict.
Mikalsen said the crisis in Ukraine opens the door to teaching children about the value of feeling empathy.
“The children are going with their parents to another country to be refugees and that’s a great opportunity for parents to explain how other countries are helping,” Mikalsen said. “You want to be very specific and answer what they’re asking about and not just give general information.”
Foster has focused on communicating the positive aspects of the conflict with his child.
“There are Russian people that are protesting, that are standing up in a very difficult situation, so it’s also another opportunity to let him know that there are good people throughout the world,” Foster said.
“Whatever we can do to direct his attention to all those people doing good things and not focus on the bad scary people, it seems like that’s a good strategy for us.”
Here's a list of BBB accredited organizations working to provide relief to people in Ukraine:
Plus, the Red Cross and Salvation Army are also working to help refugees. You can also vet other charities at BBB's give.org.