Children ask questions from their parents about every day life, including death. According to research, bereaved children tend to ask questions about the following topics: causes and processes of death, levels of human intervention, feeling and processing grief, the meaning of life and death, and what happens after death (Joy, Staniland, Mazzucchelli, Skinner, Cuddeford, & Breen, 2023). Answering these questions with honest answers can help children process the death of a loved one.
However, parents must consider the age of their child, the relationship to the deceased person, and the nature of their death. It is important to be honest, but it is also important to consider their stage of development and what they can handle (Joy et al., 2023). For example, a parent can be more detailed about how the loved one passed away with a fifteen year old than a five year old because of the adolescent's advanced cognitive development.
An excellent education and support program that can assist parents explain the passing of another parent to their child is The Children's Room. Visit their website here for more information: https://childrensroom.org/support/parent-education-series/
Has your child asked a difficult question you don't know the answer to? Don't know how to start the conversation? Need help? Message us or leave a comment so we and the community can help you process and answer your concerns.
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