 The war on terrorism, the war in Iraq, the attacks of September 11th ... the list of what can frighten a child is now longer than it used to be. It s not just an imaginary monster hiding in the closet or under the bed. Reality is now scary; American soldiers are in combat. At home, American civilians have become targets. And there are new words in our children s vocabulary: "weapons of mass destruction," "Al Quaida," "anthrax," "Taliban," "suicide bombers," "ground zero;" it is the vocabulary of terror and war and death. Many of our kids are anxious and fearful. How do we explain war and terrorism to them, how do we answer their questions and fears? And how do we talk to a 6 year old differently than a child 16 years old?