My daughter just turned 7, so up until now I've always tried to treat September 11 like any other day. However, I don't know if that's really possible anymore. As parents, we should be the ones deciding when and how our kids learn about 9/11, but the fact is even young children may hear about it, no matter how much we try to protect them. When talking to kids about any tragic event , you want to find a way to inform them without freaking them out. We chatted with Dr. Lori Walsh, a New York State -- based licensed clinical psychologist and mother of three who specializes in parenting and anxiety, who shared her tips for talking to your kids about 9/11 at every age. Preschoolers Find out what they know . "I always recommend asking what they know first, regardless of age," says Walsh. "Start with, 'Have you heard of 9/11?' That gives you a great jumping off point." Clear up any misconceptions . While we hope most young kids are blissfully ignorant of the attacks, you may be surprised by what they've gleaned. "They pick up little pieces of information, and then they make up crazy stories because their 4-year-old brains can't make sense out of it," explains Walsh. It's important to correct any misperceptions. Keep it simple and succinct . There's no need to go into the horrors of the day. Just share the basics: "9/11 is a day that airplanes crashed into these really tall