Helping children understand Remembrance Day is a meaningful way to teach them about the significance of honouring those who served and sacrificed in wars and conflicts. Here are some tips to help you explain Remembrance Day to children in an age-appropriate and meaningful way.
Why You Should Help Children Understand Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day has been marked for decades and is an important occasion. By helping your children, you are ensuring that the tradition continues in years to come, but there are other important reasons to help your children not just mark the occasion but understand it. They include:
- Making sure stories don’t get forgotten.
- Understanding the importance of peace and tolerance.
- Honouring the sacrifices made.
- Understanding Remembrance Day teaches respect and empathy.
- Talking about Remembrance Day can build critical thinking skills, especially in older children who might have questions about conflicts and how they come to be.
- A connection to personal history.
Make Poppies and Find Other Crafts
Poppies have long been used as a symbol of Remembrance. Spending time together crafting with poppies, making your own poppies, painting pictures, and finding Remembrance Day quotes to add to your crafts gives you a chance to talk more about the importance of Poppies and answer any questions your children might have.
Even very young children can enjoy and learn from crafting, and this gives you a fun way to tackle a very serious topic, making it accessible for children of all ages.
Ask What They Know
Before you try to teach your children more about Remembrance Day and the history of the occasion, ask them what they already know. If they are school-age, chances are even if they are very young, they’ve done some poppy crafts and learned a little. They may have also taken part in a silence at school or had a special assembly.
Knowing what they know helps you avoid patronising older kids with the basics and jumping into heavy detail with kids who know very little.
Asking about what they have learned at school can also be an effective way to start a conversation and give them a chance to ask you any questions they might have. Make sure you answer these questions to the best of your ability, and if you don’t know the answers, take some time to research together instead of just saying no.
Relate it to Familiar Things
Loss, and especially war, can be very challenging for young children to understand. Even older children and adults can find it difficult to grasp the complexities of war.
Don’t feel bad if you relate your stories to things your children are already familiar with, like stories you’ve read, films you’ve seen, and even games you have played. Yes, you’ll be downplaying the enormity, but it’s the best way to help young children understand without causing distress.
Keep Their Age in Mind
Don’t try to talk to young children the same as teenagers, but let your language evolve over time. As they get older, tell them more.
If you have children of different ages, make sure family activities, movies, and conversations are appropriate for the youngest, and answer the eldest’s questions when alone.
Visit a Museum
Museums are always an excellent way for our children to learn more about and understand historical events. Look for museums in your local area or take a family day out. Many family museums will have interactive displays and activities which can make heavy information easier to approach and even enjoyable.
Read Stories and Watch Films
Stories and films can be a fantastic way to teach our children. There are many kids’ stories and films set during war times, and even if they don’t directly focus on Remembrance, they can help children understand the reasons why we remember and the things that are worth remembering.
Talk About Peace
Part of Remembrance Day is highlighting the importance of peace. Young children might not be able to appreciate world peace, but they can understand how much easier their life is when their classmates get on well and work together.
Encourage Empathy
Another part of learning about war is growing empathy. Encourage your children to think about how people must have felt in wartime.
There are plenty of reasons why it’s important for children to understand Remembrance Day and plenty of ways that you can support them. But always remember to consider their age and level of maturity, as well as what they might have already learned at school. If in doubt, trust your instincts, and monitor their reactions to avoid overwhelming them with information that they might not be comfortable with.
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