In our circumstance Scarlett was under the age of 2 when Christian died. She did not understand what had happened. All she saw were that things had changed and that her parents were upset. We did our best to keep to our normal routine and made extra time to show her she was loved and safe.
If your child is over the age of 2 they might understand more than you realize. It is okay to speak to them about what has happened. Allow your child to express their grief and tell them that whatever they are feeling is okay and that they can talk to you about it. If you are concerned about them never hesitate to seek professional help.
We are currently in the process of explaining Christian’s death to Scarlett. It can be done in such a gentle way.
There are some fantastic books available that help explain death to a child. Some of these are listed below. They have been recommend by bereaved parents from all over the world.
Waterbugs and Dragonflies
We Were Gonna Have A Baby But We Had An Angel Instead
There is a scene in the movie The Princess and The Frog where one of the characters in the movie dies. It is done so beautifully gentle. I really reccomend it.
