children s health issues
Death and Dying in Children
Death of a Family Member or Loved One
How much children can understand about death depends largely on their developmental level. Children need to have the death of a loved one or friend explained to them at a level that makes sense to them. For example, preschool-age children may have limited understanding of death. Parents may try to explain death by relating it to a previous event, such as the death of a beloved family pet. Older children may be able to understand death more easily. Although it might seem to make sense to do so at the time, death should never be equated with "going to sleep and never waking up," because the child may become fearful of sleeping. 