NEW YORK (AP) — On social media, in classrooms and at the playground, children who hear about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are wondering where the war could lead. Questions about nuclear weapons can sometimes make this moment feel reminiscent of growing up during the Cold War. Experts and parents recommend speaking simply with younger kids who ask questions but avoiding detailed discussions of scary topics. With adolescents who ask about nuclear war, they say honesty is the best policy. Child psychologist Dr. Jessica Griffin says parents should make sure children aren’t consumed by their worries or what’s on the news. She says you can encourage kids to ask questions but also engage them in daily routines of schoolwork, play and bedtime. She says routines are calming and let kids feel safe.
Photo: FILE – A Soviet-era top secret object Duga, an over-the-horizon radar system once used as part of the Soviet missile defense early-warning radar network, seen behind a radioactivity sign in Chernobyl, Ukraine, on Nov. 22, 2018. Russia’s attack on a nuclear power plant in Ukraine has revived the fears of people across Europe who remember the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)
