Explaining death to a 3 year old?

Question

My grandmother died last night and my 3 year old daughter was kind of close to her. We went to see her a couple of times a week while we lived near her and after we moved she talked to her on the phone once a week. I dont know what to tell her to help her understand whats happened. She asks to talk to her great grandma and I don't know what to tell her. Any advice.

Answer 1

I don't know if you believe in god or anything, but for young children its nicer to tell them that the person has gone to live with the angles and the stars in the sky, and that they are happy and will always be there to watch over them, make it clear this is there new home, and although it's sad that they're gone, it's also a good thing becasue they're peaceful now. Good Luck, I lost someone very close to me when I was in my teens and it was hard excepting it then. Andie x

Answer 2

You three year old will be able to understand the cycle of life if you explain it to her. Leave out the details of your grandmothers death but just tell her that people are born and they grow up and lead their lives and then they must die so that another person can be born. Tell her how much her great grandma loved her and that she will be watching over her and then maybe find the birth announcments and show her a baby that was born on the same day. Keep it simple but be honest. I am sorry for your loss especially this close to the holidays.

Answer 3

This happened to my cousin,.. she busted in and discovered the body with her kids.

Just tell her the truth. I don't care what planet people tell you to act like your on or she's on,.. tell her the truth. Otherwise a false hope builds and confusion later on. Psychs think she won't understand until she is like 9 or something retarded. She won't understand everything (we don't as adults either,.. you have to die to understand everything) but she also won't be as sad for as long as if she was say 12 years old. She also won't have stuff built up against you if you tell her now instead of hideing it until she is older (hideing death is one of the worst things you can do to a person with words).

Tell her grandma died. That this means her body and mind do not work any more so she can't call on the phone and to visit her you have to go to her body that's in the ground (or urn,.. I don't know what her wishes were). If it's in the ground say it's there so that you'll always know where it is and nothing bad happens to it. Tell her the casket protects it. Tell her Grandma won't be useing her body any more so it shouldn't ever move or be dug up. Tell her your beliefs on what happens after death.

Make sure she sees the body, casket/urn, & grave. If you do not finalize things for her she will have problems.

Answer 4

Kids understand a lot more than we expect them to. Don't underestimate your child's intelligence, she probably has already keyed in on the fact that something is wrong and it would be better for you to tell her what is wrong than to lie to her and say that everything is alright. It is tough to explain death to a child at any age. I would suggest telling her that grandma is in heaven now and is with all the angels. She might ask why you can't see her and you will have to remind her that grandma is in Heaven (if you believe in god and she has been to church, tell her g'ma is with Jesus). It may take her awhile to accept, but remind her of the fun times with grandma and the special times they spent together. As she gets older she will understand more and more.

Answer 5

First off I am sorry to hear of your loss, my thoughts are with you. Every child is different, so I guess there is no set way. Maybe you can explain that your grandmother is now an angel and that she is with Jesus. Tell your daughter that while she may not see her again that her great grandmother is with her as her angel. If she is able to comprehend, you could explain that death is a part of life. My prayers are with you and your family.

Answer 6

Great grandma has gone away. There comes a time in everyone's life when they have lived a very long time like grandma when their body just can't go anymore. The body stops and the person moves on. They aren't here anymore. G-Grandma isn't here anymore. She had to move on.

Answer 7

My father and I have never been close, ( unlike my now 15 year old sister Elyse) but when he died when I was pregnant with the twins and James was 4 ( he never met my father, my mother later remarried, she couldn't handle raising a 14 year old daughter by herself) I told him he was in a good place. He goes, "But I never met Grampsa! How do I know he's a good guy?" I said, "Because he raised me. And now he'll always be with you." Try to say that she will always be with your daughter, good words of encouragement. And when she is older tell her good memories you have.
♥ The Campbells

Answer 8

I even have defined dying to a 2 twelve months previous I nannied and because I wasn't confident what faith her parents have been, i did no longer use heaven. you may tell him that Grandpa is amazingly sick and previous and is going to a greater efficient place. (Heaven, and so on.) The troublesome area would be explaining that dying is everlasting- Grandpa will no longer be coming lower back and that probably will confuse your son. in case you're nurturing on your clarification (you maximum probable will could repeat your self some circumstances) then your son could have the means to regulate. additionally, do no longer say that Grandpa went to sleep. examine have shown this could scare toddlers of falling asleep at night/nap because of the fact if Grandpa "fell asleep and went away continually" then they reason that it ought to happen to them. stable luck and that i'm fairly sorry.

Answer 9

Make it brief. Tell her that grandma has gone to heaven and one day she will see her again . At that age it is all a child needs to know. She most likely will say be OK and go about her playing. Always answer a child's question but don't elaborate or expound on it.

Todays parents seem to feel the need to go into lengthy discussions with their children about things that really
need to be reserved for when they are older.

Answer 10

I would sit her down and tell her what has happened and tell her that she can talk to her any time she wants all she has to do is start talking and her greatgrandmother can hear here cause she is in a special place where she might not be able to respond but she loves to sit and listen to everything she has to say.