Telling Children About a Death

Children need to be told of a death in the family. State it in simple terms. Give brief explanations and honest answers to your child's questions. Don't shield your children from death by telling them lies to make the subject easier. However, a child doesn't need to know every detail. The important thing is to honestly answer the questions they ask.

Children tend to have short attention spans. Along with this, there is also a limit to what information they will retain. Use simple language that the child can easily understand when explaining death to them. Don't be afraid to use words like dead or death.