Comments on: Michael Jackson’s Death Got Me Thinking…How do you explain death to children?

By: Melanie (Modern Mami)

Melanie (Modern Mami) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:44:50 +0000

@Jenny, You might be right. Sometimes kids deal with brutal honesty better than adults.

By: Melanie (Modern Mami)

Melanie (Modern Mami) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:44:24 +0000

@Carissa, Ignore it? No way. I can’t imagine trying to figure out death on your own.

By: Melanie (Modern Mami)

Melanie (Modern Mami) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:42:28 +0000

@@ctiedje, That’s great that she did so well. You’re right, though, all kids are different.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:56:53 +0000

I’ve thought about how to do this. And my solution is…just come right out and say it. I think they get confused if you beat around the bush. But that’s just me.

By: Carissa

Carissa — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:26:32 +0000

Right.. and be prepared for when the family pet dies? Will you be able to talk about it or just ignore it and hope they figure it out?? Good points here!

By: @ctiedje

@ctiedje — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:15:57 +0000

Honesty worked for our 5 year old when our beloved cat died. She took it amazingly well – almost too well. We expected her to take it harder than she did. Obviously all kids are different, but it worked for us.

By: Melanie (Modern Mami)

Melanie (Modern Mami) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:11:55 +0000

@Philippa, Yea I think that sounds similar to what we *think* we’d say, but in the moment….you just never know.

By: Melanie (Modern Mami)

Melanie (Modern Mami) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:11:03 +0000

@Tyler – Building Camelot, I get you. She’s heard the word in movies/TV, but she doesn’t know what it means. I suppose we make the manual as we go.

By: Philippa

Philippa — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:54:32 +0000

Well I still have a little time to think about how I will handle that moment, but right now I would say my first option is to try the ‘going to heaven’ method. A sleep they never wake up from. But I don’t know, depending on the child even that may be too much for them.

By: Tyler - Building Camelot

Tyler - Building Camelot — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:39:21 +0000

My daughter (3 1/2) already uses the word “dead” but I’m not sure she know exactly what it means. She’ll also use the term “dead it” on occasion. I wish there was a manual for teaching kids about death and I too dread the day that it really hits here what it means when something or someone dies.