There is no pat answer, but generally speaking we like to share truth with our kids whenever possible (ages 24, 21, 19 & 11). Our youngest was about 18 mos when tragedy struck. She is well aware that there is evil in the world. We take precautions, but also realize we can't control it all. For us, faith is part of the equation.
We talk about things in our family, not cover them up, and they have tended to feel comfortable asking questions of us as a result. Very happy with how that's turned out for us. Kids are smarter, tougher and more resilient than they are sometimes given credit for.
