The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has become the focal point of lay conversations and news media reportage. Across the country, people are watching the events unfold with bated breath, the anxiety further heightened by the plight of the numerous students who are trapped in the midst of the war and are still struggling to return home. And while the visuals and stories are alarming to viewers of all ages, children can be the hardest hit as, owing to their young age, they find it very challenging to comprehend a concept as complex and nuanced as war.

“It’s been barely a few days since our children went back to school. For younger children, many of them have never been to physical school and the adjustment process is proving difficult. The pandemic was also trying for the kids, who had to deal with their parents’ stresses and anxieties, which undoubtedly also have an impact on them,” shares Ritu Gorai, 39, founder of JAMM’s Network,  a networking and support group for mothers, and mother to 11-year-old Sara, adding, “Now, when we find ourselves having to also explain to them that instead of things getting better, we’re actually witnessing a global conflict, it can all become a little too much for them to handle.”