Explaining Death to Toddlers
By Nona Morris
@nonersays (3335)
United States
April 19, 2013 8:08pm CST
My father-in-law's funeral was today.
I didn't go myself. I stayed home with my (3 year old) son.
I think my husband kind of wanted our son to go, thinking he needs to see Papa, and know that Papa is not coming home again and that we can't “Go find him,” like he keeps asking to do.
However, after seeing how our son managed to run around like a mad man for the entire 2 hours of the visitation last night, and knowing he absolutely will not leave his Nanna in peace if he's around her, I thought it was best for him to skip the actual funeral. Eventually my husband and his mom came to the same conclusion.
We did take our son to the graveside though, after the service was over and after family had visited and left at the house.
We told him, “See that, that is where Papa is now.”
Being 3 he didn't really seem to understand, and went running around the cemetery, setting upright all the flowers that had fallen over in the wind. It was VERY windy today.
Later though he came back to the graveside where we were, and just stood there, staring at the grave for the longest (for him) time with the most serious look on his face. I wonder what was going on in his little head right then.
Then the moment passed and he was running through the grave markers again, seemingly without a care in the world.
As we left we told him, “We're going home now. Say goodbye to Papa” and at first he turned to the grave and said, “Bye” but when we were in the car he said the same thing he's been saying since Tuesday night.
“Papa is gone. We have to go find him.”
He vaguely knows what death is. After watching a character in a movie he likes die he said, "Data is dead. Papa is dead too." But he still thinks that death is somewhere we can go, somewhere we can find the person who is missing.
Without saying things like, "He's in heaven" or "he's with god" or "he's with the angels now", what is the easiest way to make a toddler understand that his Grandpa is never coming home?
2 people like this
3 responses
@Shellyann36 (11384)
• United States
24 Apr 13
I don't envy the situation that you are in. I have a 3 year old and I am unsure of how I would tell him about Nana, Pa or Gma if any of them passed away. I hope that you find a solution.
@GardenGerty (160883)
• United States
20 Apr 13
I would say to keep on being consistent and he will see that is not going to change. Papa is not any place you can find him and Parker will see that you are not looking. I think it is good he went to the graveside. He did a three year old thing and he will continue to behave as a three year old, he runs and plays and says bye bye.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
20 Apr 13
Sorry for your lose. Its a tough thing for adults to deal with. I cant imagine a 3 year old dealing with it. I think if you just keep showing him that hes in the sky in heaven. He might understand alittle more. Take care there.