https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 26 May 2026 08:07:26 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-explain-death-to-a-25-year-old#post-2624985 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 15:07:39 +0000 catomd00 2624985@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Great advice above. I would just be to the point "he died" and wait for more questions. At 2.5 I don't think there will be a lot. I would not recommend saying anything about "sometimes people get sick and don't get better" or anything like that. My friend made that mistake and her child has a lot of anxiety about people getting sick now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-explain-death-to-a-25-year-old#post-2624957 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 14:15:57 +0000 littlebug 2624957@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I took a death and dying course as part of my MSW. At that age, as PPs have said, it's important to be factual but brief. Don't use terms like "passed away" or "moved on" or "went to a better place." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-explain-death-to-a-25-year-old#post-2624948 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 14:02:18 +0000 catlady 2624948@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A little different, since my mom died before LO was born, but occasionally we talk about her and LO will ask where she is. I just say "she died and she's not here anymore" and LO accepts it. She's almost 3. At some point, I'm sure she will question it more, but for now, we keep it simple. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-explain-death-to-a-25-year-old#post-2624941 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 13:55:46 +0000 MamaG 2624941@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My MIL died right after LO turned 3. I was very matter of fact. She was very sick and died. I agree with the suggestions of being matter of fact and letting the questions come. LO didn't wholly process it until she was closer to 5 when we went to the beach. The beach was the last place she saw her nana alive. When she speaks about her nana, she's matter of fact. She's dead. Thankfully, they didn't have a close relationship so the loss isn't as apparent. It sounds like your child is in that same boat given the distance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-explain-death-to-a-25-year-old#post-2624923 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 13:34:59 +0000 yoursilverlining 2624923@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>are you religious? If so, I think you have some "easier" options there. </p> <p>we are not religious and my LO has started asking about death and what it means, so I'm a current work-in-progress on responses to this question! I've told LO what it means practically (i.e., that we will no longer be able to visit X, that we won't see X again, etc.) and emphasized that death does not mean we stop loving someone or thinking about them. </p> <p>Also, I don't try to have a "great/easy answer"" for every question. I've been honest with her that we don't know what happens when you/someone dies - it's a mystery that no one has the answer to. I'm also not shy to say "I don't know" for other questions that i don't have an answer to. </p> <p>My LO has this idea she's developed on her own about there being multiple worlds around us, so for me and my LO, when she asked if people who die "go to another world and are not in our world anymore", I told her yes, and that seemed to be an answer she was happy with. I again said that nobody knows what happens when you die and where you go, but "going to another world' was something she understood. So that's another idea. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-explain-death-to-a-25-year-old#post-2624799 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 11:02:55 +0000 merriment 2624799@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My father died last year when my daughter was 3.5. We are not religious. I suggest giving the basic information and waiting for follow up questions. For example "we are going to X because papa died". Wait for "what does died mean" before you offer more. We had all sorts of plant analogies lined up to use, but she never asked. We tried to prepare her more for people's reactions "mama is sad because she misses papa". (Then if she asked "where is papa" we would respond "he died"). Prepare yourself for the fact that questions may randomly come over days and weeks. I was blindsided by the follow up questions that she asked weeks later (she clearly had been observing and processing).<br /> Use the word died (not sleeping!) and it's ok to say "I don't know". I'm so sorry for your loss. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-explain-death-to-a-25-year-old#post-2624771 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 10:20:56 +0000 Shantuck 2624771@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We lost my grandmother and a pet when my son was around that age. We are Catholic so we had the religious aspect to fall back on but we just explained that both were ready to go to heaven and see God. My son asked a lot of questions about heaven and we told him that its a very nice place where people are very happy and one day (a very very long time from now when we are ready) we will all go up there and be together again. He often asks questions about whether there are toys in heaven (I always say yes!). He didn't really seem too fazed by it. Sometimes he talks about how he misses our pet and I acknowledge that I miss her too but that I'm glad she's so happy in heaven and that I look forward to seeing her again one day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-explain-death-to-a-25-year-old#post-2624746 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 09:34:17 +0000 Jass 2624746@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DH grandfather passed and we need to go to our home country and my 2.5 year old will be traveling with us. How do I explain his death to her as she just met him in May and has memories of playing with him. We will be staying at his grandfather house and thereis no option of staying at hotel. So how do i explain his death to my daughter. </p>