That's a really nice message, Dude. The older DD gets and the more I think and also reflect back on my own childhood, what you said about "The world is a scary place for little ones, and if they're noticing things to be afraid of and nobody is talking about them, that can lead to some serious anxiety problems" is absolutely true.
One thing my mother and her brothers and sisters were/are good at is the continuous stream of talking about things and offering practical solutions to avoid or sensibly react to danger and things. This is in part because of how many firefighters are in the family. My uncles had so many games that incorporated safety and would have the cutest responses to our anxieties when we were little (they'd also really "bark" at us if we pulled something unsafe like taking off...the boys would be grabbed by the collar...they were generally worse than us girls.)
I don't believe after these several years that I've scarred DD. She is a very practical child overall, under the cover of the drama. When we're near alot of traffic or someplace unfamiliar now, she will slip her hand in mine and stay close without me saying anything, even though she'll be 9 this summer. I hadn't thought about the fact that she might think I'm smart about things (I do take it as a sign of trust) but that's a really nice thought, quite complimentary!!
