The information and advice on this page has been created in collaboration with Compassionate Sheffield.
The How to Talk to Children About Death from Hospice UK also provided valuable content for this page.
We can’t protect children from death. They encounter it all the time – whether it’s a mouse brought in by the cat or a grandparent dying. At an early age, they can form their own beliefs around it.
If we leave children alone with fears and misunderstandings regarding death, they can grow and grow. Children are more open to conversations about death than adults often realise. We need to talk to children about dying so that the myths don’t take over, and so that they don’t feel isolated or guilty about what they think.
It’s much better to have helped children have an understanding of death, funerals, burial and cremation before being confronted with these things when someone close to them dies.
Children may ask practical questions instead of talking about their feelings. Sometimes these might sound strange. What’s it like inside a coffin? What does a dead body really look like? Will I be a ghost when I die? These are entirely sensible things to wonder – and it can be reassuring to a child if you discuss them, rather than dismissing them as silly.
For more information visit the Hospice UK website.
Try to make sure they feel comfortable asking questions or expressing their opinions on death, and try to let them lead the conversation. Talk about death as a part of life and how life and death go together. Use the natural world to demonstrate the way in which all things die – flowers withering, leaves falling.
You can use these opportunities:
There are many great films which cover the topic of death and are suitable for children. Often children can understand new subjects through storytelling and films tell stories in an engaging, visual and wise way. Films are a good opportunity to open up a conversation about death and your children will have lots of questions which is a great start.
Below is a list of suitable films for you and your child to watch together, as well as some articles on the individual films and the themes that they contain:
Miguel dreams of becoming a musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself colourful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets Hector, and together, they set off on an amazing journey to find the real story behind Miguel’s family history.
Coco And Why We Need To Talk To Our Kids Differently About Death
Bambi’s tale unfolds from season to season as the young prince of the forest learns about life, love, and friends.
Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the world and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a 8-year old scout named Russell gives him a new look on life.
The story follows the adventures of Simba the Lion Prince and the adventures he experiences on his way to becoming King.
Wilbur the pig is scared of the end of the season, because he knows that come that time, he will end up on the dinner table. He hatches a plan with Charlotte, a spider that lives in his pen, to make sure that this will never happen.