My kids think bombs are about to drop outside our door.

That’s what happens when they hear the word “war.” They don’t understand geopolitics. They don’t know the difference between a strike in another hemisphere and a threat to our neighborhood. They just hear war and feel unsafe.

I get it. The word carries weight.

So my co-host Will and I got into this on the latest episode of Men Talking Mindfulness (A Focus Now Training Podcast). How do you talk to your children about something like the US-Israel-Iran conflict without creating unnecessary fear? How do you be honest without being traumatic?

Because here’s the tension we have to hold as parents…

Yes, our kids are safe. The threat isn’t immediate. Bombs aren’t falling in our backyard.

And also, somewhere across the globe, there are children where bombs are falling outside their door. That’s real too.

Both things are true. Our job is to help our kids understand risk without pretending danger doesn’t exist, and without making them feel like the world is ending when it isn’t.

It’s a conversation worth having. And it’s one most of us were never taught how to navigate.

Check out the latest episode on Men Talking Mindfulness Wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.