Parenting

How To Use Books To Help Kids Navigate Death And Loss

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books for children grief and loss
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Explaining death to a child can be incredibly difficult. While it’s a fact of life, it can often be tough for children to digest. Plus, there are always a ton of follow-up questions. “Will you die?” and “Will I die?” are to be expected.

It’s important to be honest with your kid, but it’s also good to avoid traumatizing them over the topic. Long story short, death is scary. This July, my father passed away. Being out of state, my 3-year-old daughter didn’t see him on a weekly basis, but did get to spend some quality time with him. She’s still trying to figure out what death means. While she knows we’ll go to “Poppy’s House” and not see Poppy, it’s also hard to explain to her that we won’t see Poppy ever again. But he’ll always be in our hearts and live through the stories we tell.

That’s where books come in. Authors have done a fantastic job talking about death on a scale that’s easier for children to understand. It’ll still be difficult (especially if you’re also stricken by grief), but it’ll make the conversation just slightly easier to have. If you’re looking for a few good books that discuss death in a family-friendly way, here are some titles to add to your home library.

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