Maa, what is war?
Why did we sit under the table at school today?
Why was there a siren?
Are we safe?

These are some of the questions a five-year-old asked her mother on May 8, 2025, after a school day that felt anything but ordinary. With recent developments like Operation Sindoor making headlines across the country, even young children are picking up on the tension, and naturally, they have questions.

For parents, moments like these can be challenging. How do you explain complex topics like conflict and safety to a child in a way they can understand, without causing fear?

To help navigate these conversations, we reached out to Dr. Kaveri Subbiah, a Chennai-based Developmental Pediatrician who supports children with neurodevelopmental needs. She shares insights on how parents can respond with care, clarity, and age-appropriate reassurance.

‘Understand your child’s emotional maturity first…’

“It’s important to tell a child what the country is going through—but how we do that matters,” says Dr. Kaveri Subbiah. “Parents should first assess their child’s emotional maturity, and only then decide how much detail to share.”

This raises an important question for any parent: How well does my child truly understand what’s happening around them? Children don’t need all the answers, but they do need age-appropriate explanations that help them feel safe and supported.

Dr. Kaveri suggests approaching the conversation differently depending on the child’s age. She groups them into two broad categories: 4–10 years and 11–18 years.

For older children and teenagers, exposure to news and social media plays a big role. “They are already accessing a lot of information online. The first step for parents is to understand where their children are getting their information from,” she advises. “Before explaining anything about border tensions or current events, it’s important to gauge what they already know—and whether........

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