e close to them couldbe viewed as punishment for something they have done; make surethey know this is not so. Children of this age are egocentricand believe everything that happens to be caused by them or thatthey will catch death and die as well. A child might alsobelieve death to always be result of violence, this belief mighthave come from what they see on TV. Behaviors to look for are:the child showing little concern for favorite TV shows, goingback to bedwetting, thumbsucking, baby talk or fear of the dark. These actions may be signs of/ or warn of depression. (Vogel 16)It is a good idea for the parent might want to explain tothe child how life might be different, daily routines stopped,parents/family grieving, funeral arrangements, and a house fullof people. Terms such as dead and death should be used toexplain to the child why he wont be seeing the dead personanymore. Try and avoid euphemisms they can often mislead, bestuse the word dead this is to the point and truthful and will notlead to conflicts in the future. Reassurance to the child thatdeath doesnt hurt is benneficial, the person will always lovethe child, as well as: we will always remember him; thesephrases are comforting to hear. Consider the way the child willact and be ready for any moving(if not disturbing) questions.(Vogel 16)For children ages five to nine death is only a possibilityfor others, that they are invincible. Whereas those of age nineto eleven; are more understanding of death, that it is notpartial to anyone, that even they too could die. When there isdeath in the family the child may question the biological andphysical aspects of death, or be interested in the funeralarrangements. If there is a death close to the child(relationship wise) his/her behavior may include crying, anxiety,headache, abdominal pain, denial of death, poor grades, hostilityand lack of attention. As well as loss of manual skills,withdrawal, becoming anti social, turning ...
