It is a parent's responsibility to educate their children on the subjects of death and dying. How one goes about doing so in the most sensible way is the topic of this article. Chances are, your child already has some concept of death from watching television or playing video games. Most children do experience death in one form or another during their childhood, be it losing a pet, a family member, or something else.



1. Keep It Simple

The media have most likely already given your children some sense of death but they likely don't fully understand or appreciate the subject and haven't discussed it with you until now. The majority of children have never had a family member die, only approximately five percent of children experience that during their childhood.

2. Your Explanation Counts

When explaining an idea as opposed to something physical you should take extra steps to ensuring your children understand. Death is one of many cycles in life, and as such, don't be afraid to widen your discussion to other things like talking about babies and the cycle of life.

3. Top Parenting Tips

- Children sometimes find it difficult to understand that a person or pet is truly gone

- No matter how small your childs pet be sure to give a proper funeral

- Don't mislead children about death

- Encourage children to share their feelings

4. Don't Wait For Tragedy To Strike

One of the most important things you can do for your children is equip them with the knowledge necessary to better deal with an unexpected death..

5. Avoid Myths

In Taiwan the number 4 is often associated to death because the sound of the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean words for four and death are similar, For this reason, hospitals and hotels often omit the 4th, 14th, etc. floors, or substitute the letter 'F' for the number '4'. Koreans are buried under a mound standing vertical in coffins made from 6 planks of wood. 4 planks represent the 4 cardinal points of the compass, with 1 plank for sky and the other for earth. This relates back to the importance that the Confucian society placed upon the four cardinal points having mystical powers.