Protect your children from other people’s advice.  A well-maning relative may say, “You’re the man of the family now,”  to a 7-year-old who is not qualified to fill that role.

Consider taking them out of school temporarily.  Some teachers expect “business as usual”  when your child may not be up to it.  After dealing with a death, your child may feel his/her peers are immature or the teacher’s demands may suddenly seem petty.

When someone dies, a child’s first fear is “What’s going to happen to me?”.  They needs to be reassured that they will be taken care of.

Explain that death means the deceased person is NOT coming back.

Reassure children that one death does not automatically lead to another death.  Grandma may live years longer than Grandpa.

Encouragement: A publication by Angela DiCicco and Gail Signor

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