Explaining death to child

[emily81]

My son's grandfather is coming to the end of his life, and I know I'm going to have to talk to him about death soon. My son is 8, so he knows that people die, but he hasn't lost anyone close to him, and I want to be able to talk to him about death and living with loss. I was wondering if anyone has any advice, or suggested books? I just finished "What Really Matters" by Karen Wyatt, MD (http://www.karenwyattmd.com/), and I got some good tips about accepting death and loss. Any other recommendations would be really appreciated!

[3kidsnadog]

Hello Emily81. Very sorry to hear that grandpa is so sick. We're kind of in the same boat here...kids 7 y/o and under...they've known of people who died, but not anyone close to them. I know it's an inevitable discussion..but definitely tough ...and as a mom, you wonder how much your little guy can understand and process.

I haven't read this book personally, but at my work (Focus on the Family), we often recommend for children and grief: "Helping Children Grieve: When Someone They Love Dies: by Theresa Huntley. There's also an online article series that breaks down the grieving process according to the age/stage of the child...maybe that would be helpful too? http://bit.ly/HARaNm

Sending hugs your way....and praying for you as you and your son go through this difficult time!