ET Speaks From Home

Cuisine & Culture the Chinese Family Way

  • Chinese Culture & Festivals
    • Chinese Culture
    • Chinese Wedding
    • Lichfield Mandarin Club
  • Craft
    • Adult Craft
    • Children Art and Craft
    • Chinese New Year Craft
    • Origami
    • Tuesday Tutorials
  • Family Life
    • Home Improvement
    • Life & Parenting
    • Modelling
    • Printable
    • Sensory Play
    • STEM
    • Summer Activities
    • Tutorial
  • Food & Drink
    • Bake Recipes
    • Chinese Cuisine
    • Cookbook
    • Dessert
    • Drink
    • Food Products
    • Meal Recipes
    • Restaurant
  • Review
    • App
    • Beauty & Health
    • Book
    • Drama, Movie, Theatre
    • DVD & Blu Ray
    • Fashion
    • Game & Board Game
    • Household Products
    • LEGO
    • Products
    • Nintendo
    • Stationery
    • Technology & Gadgets
    • Toy
    • Travel
    • Twitter Party
    • Vlog
  • Giveaway

Tips To Approach Children about Death

8 April 2019 by Eileen Leave a Comment

When your loved one dies, it can get very overwhelming and terrifying at the same time, especially if it is your first experience of it!  The worst of it is how are you going to break the news to your child or any little ones without traumatising them.

tips to approach children about death

Talking about death is generally a taboo subject for everyone.  It is definitely not an open conversation for anyone as some believe it is bad luck as death will visit you, especially within Chinese culture.  Some people believe children should be shielded from the concept of death and some not even allow children to attend funerals as it is considered bad luck to see dead people.  Jenny from The Brick Castle wrote a post on why children should go to funerals – check out why she thinks that.  I also think that it is a mistake to not allow children to attend.  It is okay to get them involved and get them talking to you about their worries.

Here are some tips you might find useful:

  1. The process of death is a very scary journey, even for adults.  Try to be as calm as you can and give only factual answers to the questions.  It is always helpful to listen to the questions before you jump to answers. They may ask inappropriate questions but try to use positive and direct phrases than trying to make death a horrible experience. For example, avoid using negative words like saying grandpa ate too much food and he died of a heart attack.  This can make children think that eating food caused grandpa to die and make them afraid of eating. Don’t be afraid of using the real words but always give factual answers to avoid the message being lost in transition. These days, children can understand much more in life than we think.

  2. Everyone grieves differently and so do children.  After losing a loved one, they might be crying one minute and laughing the next.  Their changeable moods do not mean that they aren’t sad or they have finished grieving.  Your children may wish to talk, or may not, so be patient.  Try a little talk over the days, weeks, months to see how they are coping.  You might find that using books which deal with loss help to build the bridge between you and your child.

  3. It is okay to feel emotional and to cry and it is also okay not to.  Don’t make them feel bad just because they don’t feel what you are feeling now.  It is normal to feel depressed, guilty, anxious, or angry at the person who has died, or at someone else entirely and it is normal not to.  Everyone has their own ways to cope.

  4. Get them involved as little as they want or as much as they want.  From picking the music to play during the funeral or picking clothing for your loved one to choosing the colours of the flowers.  Attending funerals can be helpful for providing closure for them too, but never force them if they don’t want to.  Prepare them as much as possible with what they will see during the funerals.

  5. If you are finding it hard to deal with the issue, please don’t be afraid to get professional help.  If you are not coping, it is harder yet to support a child.  For more information on talking to children about bereavement, please visit childbereavementuk.org. SunLife has some useful information on what to do when someone dies that may cover any questions you may have on funeral costs.

Disclosure: This is commissioned by SunLife to give my thoughts for the purposes of writing this post, however, all thoughts and opinions remain our own.

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Email

Related

Filed Under: Collaboration Tagged With: childhood, Death, funeral, Grieves

« Origami Games for Kids Review
CAPCOM GO! At the National Space Centre »

Search

Hello!

Welcome to ET Speaks From Home. My name is Eileen, mother of two children aged 13 and 11 with visual impairment. We've been online since 2012 and continue to grow. I love to cook, craft, DIY, write about Chinese Culture and YouTube reviews.
Top 20 UK Parent Blogs 2020
Tots100 2014 Top 20 Blog on Twitter
Tots100 2015 Mummy Vloggers, Tots100 2016 Top 20 Vloggers
Shortlisted Britmums Brilliance in Blogging Awards (BiBs) Video 2014 Read More…

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

Click here for Media Pack

pr media pack

Recent Posts

  • Moving House? Here’s What To Do With Your Car
  • How to Make Private Belongings Secure in Your Home
  • Important Safety Features That Every Home Needs
  • Furniture Removal Hacks Before Hosting A Summer Party
  • Four Tips For Transforming Your Kitchen Area
  • How does Chinese Wine Compare with French Wine?
  • When the Past was Around
  • Make the most out your Vietnam trip
  • Making The Most Of A Tiny Bedroom
  • Choosing The Right Materials For Your Kitchen
  • DIY Tips for your home and office
  • MECO Eleverde Dental Oral Irrigator Review
  • The Different Types of Damp and How to Manage It
  • Tips to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly
  • Cert Cleaning Review

Archives

TOTS100 - UK Parent Blogs
BritMums - Leading the Conversation

YouTube API Term & Condition

YouTube API Term & Condition

Google Privacy Policy

Google Privacy Policy
bandai stem ambassador
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Copyright

©2012-2021 Eileen Teo unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved. You may not reproduce text excerpts or images without my prior permission.
“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.co.uk and affiliated sites.”
Disclaimer
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.