This means working with a child in a way that works with her or his level of understanding. For example, if you’re talking with a child about going to the doctor, it would be “age-appropriate” with most three-year-olds to use a stuffed animal to explain what’s going to happen at the doctor’s office, but not age-appropriate to do the same with an intelligent teenager. Parents should not “dumb down” things unnecessarily, but they should also be careful not to talk over the head of their children.