I would like to commend you on the article about talking to children about war that was recently in the Hicksville Illustrated News (Parenting: "Talking to Your Children About War," April 25.) I am not yet a parent, but my main source of income is babysitting. I always watch my two younger cousins, so I can relate easily to the article.

Once while I was babysitting my cousins, they were playing one of the many video games they have and Nick, who is 7 and the younger of the two, Nick, asked me what the difference was between what he was playing and what was on Channel 8. At first, I was completely taken aback and shocked that he would ask me such a thing. I figured he would learn about the war in school. However, he is only 7, and I calmly explained to him what was going on in a way he would understand.

I became very upset by this remark and I called my mother to ask her what to do. When she came to pick me up we went out to get ice cream and we had a long discussion about the war. I never realized how stressful it can be if you are looking at it from a parents' perspective.

Although I have no children of my own, I hope one day I will. The article about talking to children about war was excellent and it truly helped me to talk to the younger children that look up to me. For those few hours I am watching them, I am the parent.

Thank you for that article.

Kathryn Keller