Educational Event Aimed At Helping Children And Parents Talk About Ukraine
Talking about war is hard. Talking about war with children is even harder, and in light of the recent Russian conflict in Ukraine, it is something that is almost unavoidable. Edita Stuckey felt this, and as a former Bosnian refugee, she decided to put her event-organizing to the test and do something about it.
A few phone calls later, and the Families Together Support Ukraine event was born. A Cape-wide collaboration between organizations of all types, the event will take place tomorrow, March 12, from 11 AM to 2 PM at the St. Barnabas Parish Hall. It is intended to be a family-friendly gathering to show support for those impacted by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine while also offering expert support to both adults and children to help navigate this difficult time and the conversations that come along with it.
“I reached out to a couple of people [and said] I would like to organize an event that will be meaningful to our community [and] bring the community and families together,” Ms. Stuckey said. “I’m a mom now and it’s so hard to have these conversations… I wish we had more time but I think it’s also very important for us to start the conversation as soon as possible because children are already getting bits and pieces. I thought I would never, ever have to confront this kind of situation or be organizing for peace. Two people turned into 17 people and we have this amazing collaboration and I’m just so, so grateful.”
Though the event was created with Ukrainian solidarity in mind, Ms. Stuckey said that the impact of the conflict goes beyond just the Ukrainian people, and this event is to show solidarity for all of those people, no matter which country they are from.
“We’re trying to [show that] this is support for Ukrainians,” Ms. Stuckey said. “But there’s also a majority of Russians that are against this war, and I don’t want to alienate our Russian community either, so that they feel that they are the villains of it. They are also welcome, and we understand that as a people, it’s not their choice. They cannot do anything about what their government is doing.”
The event is a collaboration between the following organizations, brought together for this event by Ms. Stuckey: The Coalition for Children, Eight Cousins Books, Falmouth Public Library, The Family Ambassador Program, First Church Sandwich UCC, Good Grief Cape Cod, Hyannis Country Gardens, Justice Resource Institute, No Place for Hate, Sandwich Partnership for Families, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and Waquoit Congregational Church.
Ms. Stuckey is affiliated with The Coalition For Children, something she said she got involved with after having her own children as a way to give back to the community in a meaningful way that engaged her interest in early childhood education.
“You know, it takes a village to raise a child,” she said. “Everybody [can] help each one of us navigate another difficult topic. Talking about war is never easy, and I’d like to bring the communities together and help the parents and the caregivers navigate this extremely difficult topic by providing them expert advice and techniques [on] how to talk to children about this, find a balance of providing enough information about it without overwhelming or traumatizing them and then helping them understand in the terms that they can understand.”
Tomorrow’s event will feature a variety of professionals and experts from the collaborating organizations to help children, parents, and any other interested community member develop new ways of processing and dealing with emotions deriving from the ongoing crisis. Early childhood specialists, mental health consultants, trauma experts, and more will all be available to attendees to answer questions and offer insight.
Additional programming for the event includes interfaith prayers and messages of peace from community faith leaders, a meditation session, a “dancing frustration party,” a reading nook featuring books with themes of peace, an arts and crafts area where children can make sunflowers and Ukrainian flags, interactive therapeutic sessions with experts for children and parents, sunflower seed planting, and music.
There will also be a sidewalk vigil to conclude the event, weather permitting, something Ms. Stuckey said is intended to give the children an idea of what it is like to be an agent of change and part of a peaceful movement.
Attendees are encouraged to wear blue and yellow to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people. There will also be printed materials to take home and a call to action, during which attendees are welcome to donate to UNICEF’s Ukraine Relief Fund.
Ms. Stuckey emphasized that while the event is geared toward children and families, people of all ages are welcome to attend because it is important for younger children to have older role models to look up to.
“[We are] helping raise the next generation of the agents of change that care for people’s well-being and our planet,” she said. “It’s restoring my faith in humanity and just gives me hope for the future… I’ve been through this. I know what it’s like, and really no human being should have to go through this.”