If your preschool aged child has just lost one of their grandparents, it is up to you to explain to your child what has happened. Here are three ways you can help your preschool-aged child understand the death of their grandparent.
Explain What Happened In Literal Terms
The first thing you need to do is sit your child down and explain to them what happened in literal time. At this point in your child’s life, they see things as they are. Their worldview is extremely literal. Elaborate metaphors and analogies will be lost on your child.
If your child’s grandparent has been sick for a long time, explain that their body stopped working and the doctors could not fix their body this time. If they were involved in an accident, tell your child that …show more content…
Let Them Know That Dying Is A Part Of Life
Next, you need to let your child know that dying is a natural part of life, and is not something that they have to be afraid of. One way to help your child understand that dying is a part of life is to point out other life cycles to your child.
Your child may not grasp immediately that their grandparent is never coming back. Young children are just beginning to develop a sense of time; as a result, it will take them a while to fully grasp what it means to be dead.
During this time, read about the life cycle of other animals to your child, such as the butterfly. Learning about the life cycles of other animals and plants will help you child understand that life cycles are a part of life.
Let The Grieve In Their Own Way
Finally, don’t expect your child to start crying or to grieve like you would grieve. It may take a while for your child to really grasp that their grandparent is gone. They may not initially be sad when you tell them that their grandparent died since they are still developing a concept of time, and loss is a whole new concept to
Explain What Happened In Literal Terms
The first thing you need to do is sit your child down and explain to them what happened in literal time. At this point in your child’s life, they see things as they are. Their worldview is extremely literal. Elaborate metaphors and analogies will be lost on your child.
If your child’s grandparent has been sick for a long time, explain that their body stopped working and the doctors could not fix their body this time. If they were involved in an accident, tell your child that …show more content…
Let Them Know That Dying Is A Part Of Life
Next, you need to let your child know that dying is a natural part of life, and is not something that they have to be afraid of. One way to help your child understand that dying is a part of life is to point out other life cycles to your child.
Your child may not grasp immediately that their grandparent is never coming back. Young children are just beginning to develop a sense of time; as a result, it will take them a while to fully grasp what it means to be dead.
During this time, read about the life cycle of other animals to your child, such as the butterfly. Learning about the life cycles of other animals and plants will help you child understand that life cycles are a part of life.
Let The Grieve In Their Own Way
Finally, don’t expect your child to start crying or to grieve like you would grieve. It may take a while for your child to really grasp that their grandparent is gone. They may not initially be sad when you tell them that their grandparent died since they are still developing a concept of time, and loss is a whole new concept to