Children may hear about global warming and ask what it means and they may stress about the future. A survey found that children ages 11 to 14 were more worried about global warming. 74 % of children said they feared global warming and environmental disasters-such as hurricanes, tornados and flooding-more than terrorism, car crashes, and even cancer.

Nearly one-third of children reported thinking about global warming a lot and worrying about how the effects of global warming will change the planet and directly impact their lives. Another 41.2 percent think about it sometimes and say that they are somewhat worried. -- Roughly 60 percent of children surveyed believe that more needs to be done in their community to help the planet and stop global warming. -- When asked what effect of global warming worries them the most, the majority of kids surveyed are most afraid of the toll it will take on the lives of people.

Parents should not give too much detailed information about global warming to children under the age of six. (this includes limiting their access to videos). Any information on how global warming occurs and what it means for the future, should be developmentally appropriate. In simple terms, tell the child that there are too many cars in the world and they are making the world warmer. Tell them there is a balance in nature.

Just like the porridge in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, our planet should not be too hot nor too cold. Depending on the child’s maturity, a parent may share the knowledge that the polar ice caps are melting and polar bears are losing their homes. This information may not be appropriate for very young or sensitive child.

Young children will need to be reassured and told that they are safe and that their parents are working to stop global warming. Tell them they can help too, by turning off the lights whenever they leave a room.

Grade school-aged children may want more information about global warming. Listen to their questions and try to answer them honestly. However, don’t give them too much information that would frighten them, such as the possibility of flooding, droughts and species extinction. Bring it to their level, by telling them there may be less water available for swimming pools.

Encourage children to make responsible choices about global warming. Tell them that burning fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and natural gas creates carbon dioxide, which traps heat and causes global warming. Tell them they can curb global warming by planting a tree, which absorbs carbon dioxide.

Explore other environmentally proactive activities. Two Web sites besides our own have lots of information on global warming geared toward children. Here are two other great websites for children, EPA and OneWorld UK.

Pre-teens and teens also need reassurance. They need their parents to listen to their concerns about the environment. Parents can be honest regarding the threat of global of warming. Teens can be encouraged to make responsible choices and to be less materialistic. Encourage them to get politically involved in curbing global warming. They can write letters to political leaders, start an environmental club like Personally Green at school or get involved in an Earth Day events.

The best thing a family can do to help children deal with global warming is to take steps to stop the spread of global warming. Parents need to show children they are willing to give up some luxuries today to make a better future for their children tomorrow. Parents can drive less, carpool more, purchase energy-efficient vehicles, appliances, and much more. Now is the time to start modeling environmentally conscious behavior.

We all know how influential kids can be. Newspaper editors and TV producers and even politicians have kids, and when those kids start obsessing about something, it’s amazing how fast the parents do too. Just look at anti-smoking education in the U.S. My Neice is so thoroughly indoctrinated against smoking that if she see someone in an old movie smoking a cigarette, she looks at me, horrified, as if she's just seen someone drop kick a puppy. Similarly, I wonder if children may have been the ones who were scared straight about global warming — and have gone nipping at their parents’ heels.