Children told about war in Russia in school

[ShepherdMoons]

Dd is a sensitive soul in year 3 and today their class was told that people in Ukraine are having to leave their country with their pets for fear of being shot by Russians (this is the gist of what dd says). We haven't spoken about this at home.

AIBU to think the school shouldn't be talking to such young children about this?

In year 3? Of course the school should be talking to the children about it!!!

It depends. If they're talking about it between themselves and being alarmist it's good for the school to have a factual, age appropriate discussion rather than rumours and hearsay

YABU.

Our children have had lots of questions at our school - it's better the teachers deal with it sensitively than they hear all kinds of rumours on the playground.

I’d be more concerned if they weren’t talking about it. This is important.

@ShepherdMoons

Dd is a sensitive soul in year 3 and today their class was told that people in Ukraine are having to leave their country with their pets for fear of being shot by Russians (this is the gist of what dd says). We haven't spoken about this at home.

AIBU to think the school shouldn't be talking to such young children about this?

Weird that you haven't mentioned it at home?

Were you hoping she would just learn some frightening half-truths about it from hearing snippets of radio or adult conversation and things other kids told her in the playground?

It would be negligent and shocking if a school didn’t discuss it. The school is trying to educate children - that’s what it’s for.

This is at least the fourth thread on this subject.
Yes they should be told as long as age appropriate.
YABU. Hth.

They need to talk about in an appropriate way. In Year 3, some of them will have seen the TV or heard parents talking.

It’s really important for schools to allow and encourage discussion, not pretend nothing is happening!

Well, I’d eat my hat if that’s what they actually said. It’s an uncomfortable truth but children will be talking about this in the playground. There was a whole segment on the radio today about how it is impossible for children to avoid news like this and the best way to handle it.

Absolutely the school should be talking to them but I’m certain that’s not the words they used.

I deliberately had a conversation with my dc yesterday about the situation as I was v sure that either another child would say something in the playground, or that there would be potential for being shown newsround or similar in class time.

This is impacting everyone, it's on every radio, tv, newspaper and website. many DC will have been spoken to already by their parents, there maybe children from Ukraine, Russia or the neighbouring countries at school, or those who have family there.

As long as it was age appropriate, factual and sensitive, then I think that's ok. Shielding DC entirely from this is just not going to be possible tbh.

Other kids will be aware. We have had a directive about what to say and to talk about pastoral support for those worried or afraid. It needs to be discussed - this is the most important part of education. Educating.

YABU my DS is in Year 2 and we have family there, he knows they might need to flee the country and come stay with us. They know missiles are flying over the country and people are dying. You should have had that conversation already.

YABU. I’m a primary teacher and the corridors are absolutely rife with comments like “I saw on tiktok we’re going to get nuked”. Would you rather that was all she knew about it?

This was quite a good thread last week iirc

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4490452-school-letting-8-year-old-watch-newsround?pg=1

I visit primary schools and do talks and assemblies about refugees with children younger than yours, OP. For very young children I use a persona doll with a photographic life-story presentation. We do exercises and worksheets along the theme of "what would you take?" to help children understand the reality of being forced out of your home. We also look at refugee children's stories from different cultures and continents and consider the similarities and differences in their experiences.

Nobody has ever complained about their child struggling or having nightmares about our sessions. Children are almost always receptive, interested and engaged. And we do question and answer sessions in which children will frequently parrot racist views or misconceptions from home, and have them gently challenged (often by other children in the group).

I am all for protecting the innocence of children, but to me that means protecting them from harm, be that online or real-world harm. Educating them about the world they will inherit, and encouraging the development of compassion, social conscience and critical thinking does not rob them of innocence, nor will it damage them.

I’m a school governor and would expect this to come under the Citizenship programmes of study for key stages 3 and 4. It’s a part of the National curriculum.
Most children will have seen it covered on the news at home or discussed with their families. That age group were very well informed about Partygate!

Yabu.

We've had to approach it in our primary school with most year groups due to misinformation being spread around the playground.

Much better for the children to learn and discuss in a safe space than to hear snippets of half truths and exaggerations from kids who are exposed to too much inappropriate social media.

YABU. You can’t (and should not!) shield your children from the realities of the world we live in.

Kids will learn about it from somewhere. Personally I'd prefer it to be from us and/or a safe environment like school with a child-appropriate way of explaining it than snatched comments in playground that they can't contextualise. Children who are informed are generally a lot less anxious than those who are kept in the dark and find stuff out on their own in non-ideal ways.

I would prefer that they talk about it in the classroom than the unfiltered stuff they might hear in the playground.

@ShepherdMoons

Dd is a sensitive soul in year 3 and today their class was told that people in Ukraine are having to leave their country with their pets for fear of being shot by Russians (this is the gist of what dd says). We haven't spoken about this at home.

AIBU to think the school shouldn't be talking to such young children about this?

Why on earth not?

How do you thing the 'sensitive year 3s' in Ukraine are coping?

Now talk to her and explain what's happening in simple terms and what the rest of the world is doing to help

Maybe get her to sort some bits out to send to Poland to help the refugees.

There is War. In. Europe. Of course school should be talking about it. Use it as an opportunity to develop some resilience in your sensitive child, Lord knows our kids are going to need it

YABVU

We've been specifically told we should.talk about it.

Why?

Well it's important news.
Some children are exposed to all the news.
Some children are being kept in the dark.
Some are worried about the little they do know.

You should have already spoken about it at home.
Especially because you have a “sensitive soul”.
Why didn’t you?

Your child could have listened to that message in school today knowing that child refugees and their pets were being welcomed across multiple borders.