> Why not tell them the truth. Use the metaphor of a toy to explain it in
> terms they can comprehend. Tell them that we can be damaged (broken) or grow
> old and die (like a battery running down). Then explain that it is not
> anybodies fault (a frequent problem area with children is that they think
> they might have something to do with the person "going away"). Tell them
> that it is alright to feel sad when somebody dies, but that death is
> necessary part of being a living creature. Tell them that being alive is
> good, but that sometimes dying is not bad. Make sure that there is closure.
> That they know that the person will not be coming back. Explaining that it
> is what we leave behind, in the memory of others that is important, and that
> this is one reason why we build memorials to people sometimes helps. Why
> tell children lies? What is the point?
The broken or run-down toy analogy is a good one; thank you.
--Eva,
who expects to need memes like that a few years from now.