[youOme]

I'm not sure what to say or what to do when the time arises. We have a few pets with short life spans and my husband brought up the explanation of death. He says since the pets are me and the babies thing that I have to have be prepared.

It's really hard since my beliefs about after death is different then heaven or hell. Telling a kid that we'll all go to heaven is so much easier then what I'll describe. Since their father has a Christian based belief, maybe he should be the one to explain.

How did you guys tell your children about death?

[BalishBun]

As far as my husbands words to the children, "grandpa and grandma are in heaven". Thats all. Personally I think it doesn't have to be a detailed explanation until they are older when they understand more.

[MyBestKids2]

I had this book on hand when the kids were younger. It was a great help!

http://www.amazon.com/Ill-Always-Lov...pd_sim_b_img_1

[Yoda]

It totally depends on the age of the child, I think. When animals on our farm died when my child was a preteen we just said they had died and left it at that. When my son was eleven and his father died I had him write a letter to his dad telling him what he would like to say to him.

Now my son is nineteen and we talk frankly about death. He knows I want to be an organ donor if I can and have my body donated to a medical school. I told him if he didn't want to come view my body that was fine just remember me as I lived. It is inevitable and I hope it is a long way off but I want to prepare him for the natural course of life ending in death.

<font color="purple">Well, my mother first talked to me about re-incarnation when I was about 7. </font>

[Peanuts]

I think it depends on the child's age and the families traditions and beliefs. My youngest son and his neighborhood pals found a badly injured bird outside - probably had flown into a window or something. Anyway, as my son was holding it in his hands the poor thing died. My son was 7 years old. In this instance, my son could feel the difference in the bird when alive and struggling and then dead and growing cold.

So .. I explained that the bird's life/spirit was now gone from the body. We found a box - had just gotten an order of checks and so that box was just right - and my son decorated it. We put flowers in the box and tissue, then the bird then closed it up. The kids said some prayers and then a spot was selected in the back yard for burial. Then a search was on for just the right rock to mark the spot. Then that was it.

Sometimes you are handed a teaching moment and you just have to go with that. I wonder sometimes if having the ritual of picking out a box and all didn't help the whole process.

[Lenny]

What a wonderfull "teaching moment" for you and your son to begin to understand this grand mystery...

He is so lucky to have such a parent...

Lenny