Teaching Your Child About Death
by jmmillerLosing someone close to them can leave your child feeling overwhelmed with confusion, fear, and mixed emotions. Helping your child through this time can be difficult, especially if you are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with the grieving process yourself.
Children may have a lot of tough questions for you. The most important thing to remember is to try to answer their questions as completely and honestly as you can. You may not feel like talking about it yourself, but it will be beneficial to both of you to have a frank discussion about why the death happened and what might have happened to the person.
Most of us will pass on the lessons that we believe in to our children. A good approach is to try to explain a few different possibilities. For example, you could tell your child that some people believe grandma is still with us, while others think she might be watching down from Heaven. This gives your child a few options; something to think about. This approach also teaches your child to be open minded and tolerant of other people’s beliefs, regardless of what they themselves choose to believe.
If you or your child are struggling with the grieving process, speak with your doctor about grief counselling agencies in your community. Support and a fresh perspective could be just what you need to help you and your child get back on your feet after suffering the loss of a loved one.
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