Free e-book: How to teach kids about death and grieving

Talking with your child about death, especially the death of a loved one, can be difficult. Knowing how to choose the right language and how to answer their questions can sometimes be a complex task, especially if you’re grieving yourself.

That’s why we’ve prepared a simple e-book to help you introduce the concept of death to your child and begin ongoing conversations about the death of a loved one. This guide will help you take the first step towards explaining what death really means, as well as understanding the questions and concerns that are likely to arise.

This resource has been divided into seven sections, each explained with simple language that children are able to understand. These include:

1. What is dying? Someone you loved very much has died. When people die, their body stops working. This means that they cannot play, think, eat, or walk anymore.
2. Why have they gone? All life on earth – people, animals, and even plants – has a beginning and an end. All living things will eventually die and cannot come back to life.
3. Where have they gone? You may be very sad that the person you loved is no longer here with us. The good thing is that they live on in my memories. You will never have to forget them.
4. Why is everyone sad? It is okay to cry, but it is also okay not to cry. If ever you are sad, you can talk to your family or your teacher about it. At times we see and feel different things to other people.
5. What do I do? It is very important to know that they did not die because of you or anything that anyone did. It was not your fault. But after a while we can go back to doing normal things.
6. What if I still have questions? It is good to ask questions. There are no bad questions, but sometimes Mum or Dad won’t have an answer. Remember that you can keep asking as many questions as you need to.
7. It’s ok. A person that I loved has died. It wasn’t my fault. Every life has to one day come to an end. I miss the person I loved very much, but I am lucky that I will remember them forever.

Saying goodbye is hard but talking to your kids shouldn’t be

This resource has been written for parents to read to their children and gently explain the death of a loved one in a way that they can easily understand.

Download the Saying Goodbye e-book and open up a discussion with your children about a subject that they might be struggling to come to terms with.