Wow, thank you for this in-depth and insightful piece, Adelina. You are so right that we shouldn't avoid talking with our kids about the situation, but how to soften it just the right amount, while holding space for them to express their feelings, isn't easy.

I'm not sure how much your son has been aware of the Covid situation but that already has felt painful to deal with, and it has had a direct impact on everyone. War, obviously, is another level, but still painful, even if the impact is not direct.

I remember being aware, probably from hearing my parent's talking or watching the news, of the threat of a nuclear attack when I was a child. Around that time, the Chernobyl disaster happened. I remember being in my garden and suddenly overcome with fear that a nuclear bomb would be dropped. We were even aware of the effects we would feel should we be under attack. It really was frightening and it shocked me.