Mom, when will it end?: Help Your Child Stay Strong in Uncertain Times

On the morning of October 7, on Simchat Torah, Yaheli and her family are awakened bysirens. Soon after, they learn that a war has begun. Yaheli’s father is drafted into thereserves, leaving Yaheli, her older brother Itay, and her baby sister Liya at home withtheir mother to navigate a complex and challenging new reality.In Mom, When Will It End?, Yaheli, seven years old, reflects on the first days of thewar, sharing her feelings, experiences, coping mechanisms, and the inner strength shediscovers within herself.Written from Yaheli’s perspective, the book uses vivid, figurative language to explorethe full range of emotions she feels. As the story unfolds, Yaheli adopts a positive innerdialogue, which helps her process the situation and build emotional resilience. Her rich,childlike world of metaphors serves as an anchor, allowing her to connect with her owninner resources.Mom, When Will It End? is a tool for cognitive, emotional, and mental processing ofthe experience of war. It is intended for parents and children whose lives have beendisrupted by the conflict, offering support in managing overwhelming emotions anduncertainty.The book highlights the importance of community in coping with crises and the powerof belonging. It encourages a positive outlook, reinforces the importance of expressingdifficult emotions, and provides guidance for answering the tough questions childrenask when we don’t always know the answers.Mom, When Will It End? incorporates strategies from positive psychology,mindfulness, NLP, and CBT to help children and parents build inner strength andresilience. It focuses on connecting to one’s inner power and finding the ability to copewith situations we can’t control, making the best of them.Noga Hila Motana is a parenting and family coach, a holistic therapist for children, anda couples counselor. She supports families through processes of self-awareness,growth, and empowerment; delivers lectures and workshops for companies,organizations, municipalities, and community centers; and creates online courses forparents and children.During the Gaza War, she also published two poetry books dedicated to the wives ofreserve soldiers: Holding the Wind and Between Rounds. Read more