What do if your child wishes Putin death: psychologists explain why this is normal and what parents should say in response

Since February 24, the lives of Ukrainians have been divided into before and after. The war has changed the usual way of life for both adults and children. Psychologists believe that the events are a huge test for children's psyches. And it is quite normal for a child to think and even imagine the death of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to the article for UP, during the war, children's anxiety and aggression are exacerbated, and their fears may increase. Emotional reactions and behavior can also regress, and the child's actions do not correspond to his or her age. Psychologists gave advice on how to deal with parents whose child draws or fantasizes about the death of the head of the aggressor country.

According to psychiatrist Alla Petriv, wishing death to the enemy gives us the opportunity to express our emotions. And it does not necessarily have to be aggressive, it can be in the form of a kind of humor. Such things do not allow us to lose hope.

"So I don't see a problem with a child drawing Putin's death. If a child draws, it's already good," Petriv emphasizes.

At the same time, psychologist Lilia Milinevska notes that the fact that the child chose Putin as the object of his anger is also not surprising because he is directly responsible for this war, and the child hears his name in the news and adult discussions. In addition, it is much easier for a child to imagine the president of the Russian Federation than to create an image of a conventional Russian soldier.

Another psychologist, Anna Pokrovska, explains that children can voice their desire for Putin's death, looking for a way to stop the war: "Sometimes it's not even aggression, it's not about a child taking a gun or a knife and killing a person. It's more about a logical conclusion, how to stop this horror that people in Ukraine are living in now."

How parents should respond to a child's wish for Putin's death

When an adult hears from a child about revenge and wishes for Putin's death, there is no need to imagine the most horrific scenarios. Such a reaction is an outpouring of sadness, fear, and anxiety. Psychologist Kateryna Goltzberg notes that there is no danger in the child's words.

"But you have to tell the child that you understand how much it hurts and how much they want this person to not exist, and that unfortunately, it's not in their power. Because sometimes children have a sense of power, as if they can do anything," she explains.

Golzberg advises switching from negative emotions directed at Putin to positive ones, with faith in our military.

Anna Pokrovska advises talking to your child to help him or her express their feelings. It is important to let them know that it is normal to be angry, and that such emotions do not make a child bad.

You can sculpt or draw Putin together, and then "destroy" him by flattening the clay figure or tearing the paper. To cope with negativity, it will not be superfluous to draw caricatures of the Russian president. All of this, according to psychologists, helps to live through and express anxiety, fear, and pain. You can also read fairy tales about villains and explain that good always triumphs over evil.

Physical exercises or games where the child can feel his or her own strength, such as a pillow fight, will be helpful. At the same time, it is very important that the child does not transfer his or her anger toward the enemy to the people around him or her.

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