24/07/2026
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗿𝘆, 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴
As adults, we often look at protests through the lens of politics, justice, or social change. Children do not.
They watch faces. They hear raised voices. They notice anxious conversations that stop when they enter the room. They see television screens filled with crowds, police, smoke, and uncertainty. Even when they do not understand the issue, they understand one emotion very well. Fear.
In the current situation in India, many families are discussing events that children are quietly absorbing. Some children ask questions. Others become unusually silent. A few may seem unaffected, yet begin struggling with sleep, concentration, or irritability. Children rarely express stress the way adults do. They live it through their behaviour.
As a psychologist with over twenty years of counselling experience, I have learnt that children do not need perfect answers. They need calm adults.
It is tempting to dismiss their worries with, "Everything is fine." But children are remarkably perceptive. When our words and our emotions do not match, they trust what they feel more than what they hear.
Instead, invite conversation. Ask what they have seen, what they think, and how it makes them feel. Correct misinformation gently. Limit repeated exposure to disturbing news, especially younger children who cannot separate one event from an ongoing threat. Most importantly, reassure them about the people and routines that keep them safe.
Protests are part of every democracy. They reflect voices, disagreements, and the hope for change. But while society debates its future, children are building theirs.
The greatest lesson they will remember is not who was right or wrong. It is how the adults around them handled uncertainty. When we respond with empathy, honesty, and emotional steadiness, we teach children something far more powerful than current affairs.
We teach them resilience.
