Talking to preschoolers about death

[mrsg123]

Luckily this question is not about how to explain the death of a loved one right now, but lately My dd who is almost 4 has been asking about death. If we will die, if she will die, if kids die. As this is a general question and not about someone who has, what have you told your preschool aged kids about death? TIA!

[drloretta]

DD hasn't really mentioned it much. I did read something about talking about people who died as their bodies being broken vs sick. So the kids won't think every time they get sick they're going to die.

[ktzmoh]

We talked about it with our 5YO last year when we were sitting on a memorial bench in the park. He wanted to read it and then asked what it meant. I told him that this person had died and that he liked to sit here in this park, so his family put this bench here to remember him and tell people something about this person. Later we found a dead bird on a walk and he started asking about death again. I explained that everyone will die, and that nothing lives forever - that our bodies will go back into the earth and that is a very natural thing. I told him that usually people live a long time before they die and that we will be remembered (like the bench in the park). I also took that opportunity to talk about why it's important to take care of your body and be careful etc... He's brought it up several times since then, so I know he is thinking about it. There was a very good Sesame street in which Mr. Hooper dies and Big Bird explains to the children. You may want to put that on sometime after you talk about it with her.

[mrsg123]

Thanks, all.