Timing is Everything
When should you talk to your kid about dying and what it means to “lose” someone? This really depends on how close the kid was to the one who passed. However, you have to be able to tell your kid about the loss but they will likely have to attend a funeral or they may have questions about why someone isn’t around anymore.
The best time is typically when there’s a large period of where you can grieve as a family. If you can, try to plan some type of quiet family trip to talk heart-to-heart about what has happened. You may want to block out several hours to do this if possible. You may not be able to talk right after the loss has occurred unless it’s unavoidable. However, you don’t want to wait multiple weeks, especially if it’s someone who interacts with your kid daily.
For Immediate Parent Loss
This is a difficult conversation that should be treated with great care. You should communicate a personal message to your kid if possible from the deceased. Sometimes this is possible if the person died because of an illness. In cases where there isn’t a time for a letter, it’s important to communicate how much a kid was loved by both parents or siblings.
