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How To Talk To Your Children About The Death Of Their Parent

Name: How To Talk To Your Children About The Death Of Their Parent
Uploaded: 2011-04-03T00:52:54+00:00
Duration: 52 s
Channel: David Kessler
Description: Short video transcript in which grief expert David Kessler advises adults on how to talk with children when a parent has died: answer children’s…

3 Apr 2011 · 1 min

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Short video transcript in which grief expert David Kessler advises adults on how to talk with children when a parent has died: answer children’s questions honestly and age-appropriately, reassure ongoing caregiving and continuity, invite later questions, and model sharing one’s own feelings without judging children’s questions. The guidance emphasizes honesty, reassurance, emotional availability, and normalizing children’s questions about the loss.

Chapters

How do I talk to my children about the death of their parent?
When talking to children about the death of a parent, they may have many questions. You want to answer those questions honestly, in an age appropriate fashion. You want to reassure them that you are there to take care of them, that this has been an unbelievable, significant loss in their life, but that life is going to continue and that you will be there to help them through their hard times. And just tell them that in times, they may have questions later on that they don't have today, and you're always available for those questions. And most importantly, share your feelings about the loss. And if you can, don't ever make them feel like there's a wrong question or they shouldn't be bringing up this subject.