What To Do If Your Child Loses A Parent

By:John Morris

Most children live in an idyllic world of saturday cartoons and the loving care of their parents. Unfortuantely, there comes a time when a child will experience death for the first time and it becomes the responsibility of parents to educate their young children on the subject of death and dying.

1. Make Your Discussion Tailored For Children

Don't avoid talking about death with your children, nor should you explain it in such a way that would instill a fear of death. Thankfully for parents, it is not likely that your child will have to deal with a family member dying, but about forty percent of children do lose a pet at one time or another.

2. How To Have The Talk

Children may not understand things like concepts as opposed to things they can touch and smell. Always explain things to children using familiar words and metaphors. Death is one of many cycles in life, and as such, don't be afraid to widen your discussion to other things like talking about babies and the cycle of life.

3. Tips For Helping Children Cope With Loss

- Children sometimes find it difficult to understand that a person or pet is truly gone
- Even the tinyest goldfish can cause your child to cry for days
- Often, children will express themselves through actions rather than words
- Never mislead children by telling them the deceaced will come back
- Children should understand that death is natural

Most importantly it is critical that you keep talking to your child. Keep the lines of communication open by asking them how they are feeling. Sometimes children will have nightmares about death or losing someone and it's important to talk through these dreams. Some children try to hide their confusion and sadness, and it's important to see beyond the surface and get them to open up to you. Just because they are children does not mean that they don't feel things deeply. If a child keeps their pain and confusion bottled up, it will come back to haunt them in later years.

4. Inform Children At An Early Age

One of the most important things you can do for your children is equip them with the knowledge necessary to better deal with an unexpected death. Not taking the necessary steps to educating your children about death can lead to them having skewed perceptions of the subject.Children should be given ample time to mull over the concepts of life and death in their minds. Do not wait until their pet dies in order to explain the subjects of death and dying to your children.

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