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 |  Helping children cope with bereavement  A death is usually an opportunity to strengthen family ties. This is especially true when death strikes within a child's family circle. The only way to help a grieving child is to answer his or her questions patiently. This gives us an idea of how the child is coping with bereavement. Anyone old enough to love and feel sorrow - even a child - can suffer bereavement. Children react differently to the death of a loved one. Regardless of the child's age, these feelings should not be treated lightly. Young children Children below the age of three do not understand death, but they can still be deeply affected by it. It is important to stay with the child, maintain daily routines, and be aware of his or her distress. Compassionately explain what is happening, using appropriate language. The child will understand your words and feel more secure. Children from three to five don't fully realize that death involves separation. At this age, they are visibly curious about death (Is the dead person hungry or thirsty? Where is the body? What will happen to the body? etc.). During the bereavement, the child needs to maintain a relationship with the departed family member, who becomes an imaginary companion, even though the child knows the person is dead. Dying and burial will feature in the child's games with his or her friends. Give the child something that belonged to the deceased to keep lovingly as a precious memento may help ease the separation. School-age children School-age children fully grasp the permanence of the separation. Involve the child in funeral rituals (the funeral home, the ceremony, burial, etc.). Children of this age are sometimes very anxious about death, but their uncertainties may go unnoticed. They may deny them by acting passive, because they are confused by their feelings. If the child seems indifferent, start a conversation and encourage him or her to talk about it. Adolescents Adolescents are distressed by the death of a loved one. They know the meaning of "forever". Teenagers understand death like adults but experience it like children. Their suffering is more visible and their questions more focused on the consequences the death will have on their own future. The bereaved adolescent feels an enormous lost of a loved one who was helping in the process of building his or her personality. Regardless of the child's age, don't hesitate to explain what death is. Answer the child's questions and make sure he or she is satisfied with your answers. Advice:
Preschool/primary
school UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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