Frequently Asked Questions About Children & Grief
- 1. HONESTY – How much do you share with your children about the impending death of a loved one?
Honesty is vital to helping a child cope with the loss of a loved one. Use simple, direct terms to share what is happening with the dying loved one at their level of understanding. Encourage questions and admit when you don’t have the answer. When children are included and prepared, you not only gain their trust, you gain the ability to be present for each other’s pain.
- 2. PROTECTION – Is the reality of death too much for children to process?
- 3. EMOTIONS – Is it better to cry in private, in order to protect your children from the overwhelming pain of loss?
- 4. GUILT – Is Magical Thinking so strong, that a child could blame themselves for a loved one’s death?
- 5. FUNERALS OR MEMORIAL SERVICES - Should children be included in end of life activities?