Helping a child through the loss of a grandparent
Grief · 5 min read
Plain words to use, what to expect by age, and whether to bring a child to a service.
Use the real words
Say died, not lost or gone to sleep. Softer language confuses young children and can make bedtime frightening.
By age
Under six, children may ask the same question many times. Six to eleven often want facts. Teenagers may withdraw. All of it is grief.
About attending
Describe what the room will look like, who will be there and how long it will last, then let the child choose. Have one adult ready to leave with them at any moment.
Read next
The first weeks of grief, and what nobody warns you about
Why the days right after a funeral are often harder than the funeral itself, and what actually helps.
When the death was sudden
Shock, unfinished conversations, and why sudden loss follows a different timeline.
Closing accounts and notifying institutions
Who to notify, in what order, and how many copies of the death certificate you need.