It is a profoundly tragic event. A child loses a caregiver or a beloved animal through a death. Children have a very own way of dealing with death and loss. You mourn in spurts. This means, for example, that after a funeral, children can jump around happily and want to play, at best to the incomprehension of some adults. But then suddenly moments of grief kick in. This can be at very different intervals, or at certain events, when the child remembers the deceased person and misses him.
Be authentic and honest
The important thing is that adults they accompany in the process of mourning, they are authentic, answer all questions and also admit when they don't know something. Transparency is so important because children often fill empty spaces with their imagination much more dramatically and negatively than they usually are in reality.
Death is not a taboo subject
Death should be already before a death should not be a taboo subject. There are always opportunities to talk about death with children in everyday life.
Already at an early age, when they step on a beetle, or at the sight of a dead bird at the roadside. There is no need to broach the subject. But explain that death is part of life and final is that every living being will die once, you may and you should.
Story in Tara's Story App: Tara and the Cat Heaven
Tara finds one day on the way home the Neighbor's cat Oscar dead on the roadside.
She is shocked and sad. With the help of her parents and the neighbor, she manages to overcome this event including funeral ceremony process.
Children's book recommendations for dealing with death*.
There are a few worth recommending, books supporting the mourning process on the subject of death.
(for children from 3 years) We have picked out the best ones from our point of view.
Because I miss you so much
This book is special because it speaks directly to both children and adults. It is straightforward and yet retains the necessary portion of poetry. In the book you get further information and contact points on the topic. Since many children like music very much, we think it's great that a song was composed especially for the book, which you can download for free.
Goodbye little bird
Although it does not deal too much with the processing of grief, we would like to recommend this book. Because it is very suitable as a child-friendly access into the subject of dying and death. The book provides a basis for an honest conversation between adults and children, because it tries to answer many questions that children have in connection with death. The story is very colorful and lovingly illustrated.
Goodbye dear badger
The book "Leb wohl lieber Dachs" (Farewell dear badger) addresses how loss can be painful, that after death there is a void that cannot easily be filled again. Despite this, the author succeeds in creating a positive and hopeful mood to keep. A book that is especially suitable for younger children, because it has something fairy tale-like in it.
Forever
We like this book very much because it shows the calls things by their names very directly. The little protagonist Egon loses his father. Dad will never come back, things will never be the same again. The emotions Egon goes through and the reactions of his environment he has to deal with - the breadth and honesty is at the same time harrowing and authentic.
*If you click on the images, you will be redirected to Amazon. These are so called affiliate links. If you buy the books this way, we get a commission. The price does not change for you. By the way, we are big fans of local bookstores! If you have the possibility, you can buy all books there.