Commemorating Anzac Day with little ones

Does your family commemorate Anzac Day? It’s a day when many families around Queensland acknowledge those who have served their country, past and present, and commemorate the landing in Gallipoli during the First World War.  

Some of these families have a proud history of local serving members in the Defence Force, while others just like to remember and honour the sacrifices many have made to keep our country and others safe.  

Stories of war and loss can be overwhelming for young children, and we want them to continue to feel safe and secure. You know your child best, so think about what kind of information they’ll be able to understand and what kind of emotions they might have or be ready for. Try keeping the message simple and focus on Anzac Day being a time to: 

• Thank the people that have served our country
• Acknowledge the sacrifices many have made for the freedoms that we have; we are very fortunate 
• Care for all the people in our community, especially those that can’t care for themselves 

You might even like to start your own family Anzac Day tradition by attending a dawn service or an Anzac Day parade. Don’t forget you could also find Anzac biscuit recipes that you can read together and then bake and share.  

Books can be a great way to gently introduce tricky subjects without being too scary.  Plus, this is a chance to use words that are not part of everyday conversations like “soldiers” and “defence” and chat about what these words mean. You might like to use the following book suggestions when talking with your little one: 

• Anzac Ted by Belinda Landsberry 
• Lest We Forget by Kerry Brown 
• My Grandad marches on Anzac Day by Catriona Hoy