Are you struggling to know how to talk to your kids about what's going on in Ukraine? It is hard to know what to say about such an inexplicable tragedy as we watch it unfold through news coverage every day.

But there are three reasons we should be talking to our children about it, according to researchers writing in The Conversation recently - 'How to talk to children about the invasion of Ukraine, and why those conversations are important':

1. to help children process difficult emotions that may arise.
2. to combat misinformation.
3. to model and encourage compassionate views towards others.

The researchers share their advice on how to manage conversations with your child or adolescent.

'Start by asking your child what they have heard or what they might know about the conflict in Ukraine. Next, validate and normalize how they are feeling. If they say it’s distressing for them, you can say: “It can be scary to think about a war; most kids and adults feel scared too.” If your child does not know very much or does not seem to be very disconcerted about what is happening, you can keep the discussion brief.

'Regardless of whether they are distressed or not, you can share some factual and developmentally appropriate information. For example, you might look at a map of the world together and share where the conflict is occurring. You can share some basic information about what is happening and why, and where and how they can gather reliable information...'