Psychologist Svitlana Royz: how to calm a child during the war in Ukraine.

Psychologist's advice for calming children in connection with the Russian invasion

Ukrainian psychologist Svitlana Royz, in connection with the difficult situation that has arisen in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion, shared useful tips on how to calm children. She wrote about this on Facebook.

To make the child feel comfortable, the psychologist advises hugging them, playing together, and even playing video games. It is also important to make the child smile regularly, breathe deeply, and even shout.

'Let them hug you as if they want to swallow you. We stood face to face, back to back, and slowly moved, simulating the movements of a large caterpillar on the floor. If your child is small - hold their belly to yours, like a kangaroo, and try to gently pat their back - one gentle tap per second.'

The psychologist also suggests a choice between tea or water for drinking.

If the child's hands are cold, they need to be warmed up, given sweet tea, and simply chatted with.

'Say - right now we have a very difficult situation. What we were afraid of has happened. And it is very important to remain calm and help each other. We are together. Right now our army is doing everything possible to keep us safe,' - adds the psychologist.

Among other tips, Svitlana Royz recommends keeping the child occupied with something useful, for example, giving them the responsibility to take care of a toy.

Let us remind you that early in the morning on February 24, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of a military operation on the territory of Ukraine. Immediately after this statement, reports of explosions in major cities of Ukraine began.

In cases of fear and anxiety in children, psychologists recommend first focusing on calming and helping the little ones, using simple relaxation methods and engaging children in positive and useful activities.