Page 43 - Kenosha Funeral Services

on a regular schedule as much as possible.
Younger children might have trouble understanding the permanence of death or differentiating between fantasy and reality. They also might believe death of a loved one is a form of punishment for something the child did. When you talk to young children about death, make sure to use concrete language, avoid euphemisms and reassure the child that the death is not a consequence of something he or she did.
Older children are beginning to understand the permanence of death and might associate it with old age or personify it in terms of frightening images or a cartoonish nightmare of some sort. They often know more about how the body works and have more specific questions. It’s important to answer their questions to the best of your ability and provide as much specific, factual information as possible. Try to keep them to regular routines and give them opportunities for the constructive venting of feelings and grief.
Teenagers process grief more like adults, experiencing anger and sadness as they begin to cope. Don’t feel disappointed if
it seems that they may want to talk more to their friends than parents, this is normal and can help them share their feelings and heal. Because their grief is similar to that of an adult, a teenager may take longer to recover from a loss than a younger child. Questions may come up about morality and vulnerability and your role is to empathize with them, listen to their concerns and remind them that their feelings are normal, and things will get better with time.
Kenosha Funeral Services & Crematory - Page 43