How do we help children to understand death?  It’s a subject that we, naturally as adults tend to avoid. But did you know how important it actually is for you to do this?

As the saying goes you can’t avoid taxes nor death!

Doing my research, I found out that in Australia 1 in 20 children by the age of 18 will have experienced the loss of a parent. 

Now that statistic doesn’t include losing both parents, grandparents, siblings, extended family, classmate or even the family pet.

If you take in the above, then that statistic would actually be more like 1 in 5.  I’m in that statistic as I lost my much loved, Pop when I was 11 and my dad when I was 15.

Explaining death to a child doesn’t have to be a difficult task.  What you need to know is that children see the world in colour.

They are also highly sensitive and can tell when the adults around them are upset.

If they don’t know what’s going on, then they take things personally and may even think that they’ve done something wrong or are responsible.

We don’t want them to think that, do we?

We as adults see the world in a much more black and white way making it difficult to put into words what happens when we die.

This is also compounded, because we’re grieving the loss as well.

Meaning, we’re not always in the right headspace when we’ve lost someone close to us.

Death is something that we aren’t always prepared for, it usually comes along and hits us like a freight train.

So, how do you go about explaining death to a child? 

For starters, don’t make it complicated!!  Just ask them what they think happens when you die, you may be quite surprised!

And from there you can talk about your beliefs and what you think happens. 

Don’t poo poo their comments either, you want them to be able to be open with you.

Children will absorb what they need to know, then go away and process it and come back to you with some more questions. Don’t overload them.

It doesn’t have to be left until someone has passed away.  In fact, I believe that it’s important to not leave it until then.

It’s an important topic that should be brought up and spoken about in a matter of fact and casual way.

Your kids are exposed to death all the time through media and you just may be surprised what ideas they have formulated around it.

Still feeling stuck on how to go about talking to your child about death?

I have written a book specifically on this topic to help you and it has won four international book awards!

Where Did They Go? Is a book that strives to help you to talk to your child about death and where a loved one or special pet goes when they pass on, sometimes unexpectedly.  

There are times when life’s more serious side can enter into a child’s life, perhaps sooner than we would wish for them.

Bereavement is one such time and, while we would like to shield them from pain, explaining death to a child is a fundamental part of life and must be faced.

This book helps to deal with just that.

It gently, and with great sensitivity, is about explaining death to a child, reminding them that this is only ever temporary and that wherever they go, the spirit of their loved one or pet travels with them always.

To purchase your copy just click on this link >>HERE

Love & Light

Katrina-Jane