• Home
  • Parenting
    • Motherhood
      • Relationships
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby (0-1 years)
      • Breastfeeding
    • Toddler (2-5 years)
      • Potty Training
    • Kid (6-9 years)
    • Tween (10-12 years)
    • Teen (13-18 years)
  • Hygge
  • Creative
    • LEGO
    • Perler Beads
    • Wreaths
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Fall/ Autumn
  • Life Style
    • Pets
    • Financial Life
    • Our Life
    • Reviews
  • Health
    • Heart
    • Narcolepsy
    • Special Needs
  • Meet Tove Maren
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Statement
  • Shop
    • Best Selling Shirts
    • Sarcastic Shirts
    • Sleep Humor Shirts
    • Heart Mom Shirts
    • All MITN Shirts
    • Hygge & Happiness Books
    • Book Club Worthy Books
    • Parenting Books
    • LEGO Gifts

Mama In The Now

Boy Mom Life With Humor and Hygge

I use cookies on this site to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyze traffic. I also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. Privacy & Cookie Policy

How to Talk to Your Kids About Losing a Loved One

Sharing is caring!

346 shares
  • Facebook129
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

There are affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations.

There are affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations.

Losing a loved one is never easy, helping your kids process the loss can be even harder. Learn how to talk to kids about death and losing a loved one.

How To Talk To Kids About Death

We don’t like seeing our children get hurt and we go to great lengths to protect them. Unfortunately, we can’t shield them from all the harsh realities of life. Death is one of those things we all have to confront at some point and few things can compare to the sadness we feel when a loved one passes away.

While losing a loved one is always painful, with age we get more used to coping with the pain. For kids and teens, it’s a different matter and they can take it quite hard. This makes it a tricky task to explain death, help kids make sense of it and go through everything while managing your own feelings over the loss.

There isn’t an easy way to get through it, so here are some tips to help grieving kids and teens to process all of it. 

How to talk to your kids about losing a loved one. How to talk to your kids about death. Explaining death to kids. How to let kids grieve. Kids and grief. #KidsandDeath #LosingaLovedOne #TalkingtoKids #ParentingAfterLoss #ParentingTips #MamaintheNow #parentingTweens #ParentingTeens


Be truthful from the onset.

We’re often afraid of saying someone died, especially when talking to younger kids. However, using terms like “gone to be with the angels” or “passed on” can confuse them. It’s always better to be upfront and honest from the start. You don’t have to go into details about the death, but be simple and direct when breaking news of a loved one’s passing. For example, you can say, “I have some sad news. Grandpa died today.”

Allow both you and your children to feel the emotions that come with loss.

Being open about how the death makes you feel can help your children learn how to grieve. Teens especially struggle with strong emotions and seeing you handle yours can give them clues on how to behave. Don’t hide your grief, seeing you mourn and cry lets your children know that it’s normal and healthy to express sad feelings after a loss.

Also, don’t shy away from talking about the thoughts and feelings brought about by the death of a loved one. Encourage your children to say what they’re thinking and feeling and be available to listen, comfort and reassure them.

Let your kids grieve in their own way.

Everyone reacts differently to the death of someone who was close to them, and children are no exception. Some resort to anger, loneliness, and isolation while others are seemingly not affected by the death. Remember there is no right way to grieve so give them space to do it in their own way.

Keep an eye on teens because there’s a chance that losing a loved one might cause them to sink into depression, especially if they were very close. Know the signs of teen depression and don’t hesitate to ask for help if necessary.

Teens and grief. How to talk to your tweens and teens about losing a loved one. Parenting tips for tweens and teens. #Grief #Talkaboutdeath #parentingtweens #Parentingteens #parentingafterdeath #LosingaLovedOne #explainingDeath #mamaintheNow

Give them a chance to participate in the funeral rituals.

There are different ways kids can be involved in funerals such as picking out flowers, songs or photos. Older kids and teens can share poems or say a few words about the loved one. Taking part in the funeral gives them a sense of control over the loss and is a great way to get closure.

Take care of yourself.

Your kids are always learning from you so ensure you model proper self-care during this difficult time. Reach out to your friends and family for help and also take time to be by yourself to process everything you’re feeling. Remember, kids need consistency so try as much as possible to resume your usual routine after a suitable mourning period has passed. Getting back to the normalcy of daily living does wonders for a grieving soul.

Losing a loved one and dealing with the ensuing feelings of grief and loss is never easy. However, it is possible to get through it together as a family.

Tyler Jacobson

Tyler enjoys going to the mountains near his home in Draper, Utah to connect with his wife and children through camping, hiking, and quality time together. When he isn’t rebooting in the outdoors, he shares his fatherly experiences with the world through writing and creative designs. Tyler shares the ups and downs of family life and the solutions he’s found through lengthy research and involvement in the industry and his own experiences to help parents everywhere. Follow Tyler on:Twitter | LinkedIn

I am always thankful to have Tyler Jacobson write for my blog because he covers a topic that I am not yet familiar with: teenagers.

Check out his other on-point articles about parenting tweens and teens:

How to Stop Your Teen’s Phone Addiction

Stop your teen's phone and internet addiction with these easy to follow tips. Parenting teens isn't easy, especially when they have a their face in a phone or on the internet all day. Teens and technology. Teens and safe internet use. #ParentingTeens #TeensandTechnology #PhoneAddiction #RaisingTeens #RaisingHappyTeens #InternetSafety #PositiveParenting #mamaintheNow

Teaching Teens How to Manage Their Strong Emotions

Parenting teens. Teaching teens how to manage strong emotions. Teen parenting tips. How to help teens manage emotions. Emotional teens. #Parenting #ParentingTeens #mamainthenow #ParentingTips #TeenParentingTips

How to Raise a Financially Responsible Teen How to raise a financially responsible teen. Teach your tween and teen financial responsibility with these tips. Tips for parenting teens. Financial literacy for teens. #FinancialResponsibility #RaisingTeens #ParentingTeens #FinancialLiteracy #Parenting #ParentingTips #ParentingYoungAdults #RaisingResponsibleKids #MamaintheNow #FinanciallyResponsibleTeens Are Missing Out On These Important Experiences

Teens' online use and social media obsession is causing them to miss out on developmentally important experiences. This is a father's tips for other teen parents.Raising Boys With a Healthy Concept of Teen-Sexuality

Parenting tweens and teens is hard enough. Tips to teach them healthy gender norms, beauty and sexuality. Help them develop healthy relationships based on values instead of desire and looks.

Teaching Teens They May Not Reach The Stars When They Shoot For The Moon

Teaching teens they may not reach the stars when they shoot for the moon. Valuable life lesson and parenting tips for teens.

4 Surprising Things I Wish I Had Heard From My Daughter Earlier

4 surprising things I wish I had heard from my daughter earlier. Nothing compares to a father daughter relationship that is always improving.

Filed Under: Parenting, Teen (13-18 years), Tween (10-12 years)

I am a Danish American mom of four boys parenting with heart, humor and hygge. Join me on this crazy ride. You will laugh more than you’d expect!

Don't Miss Out! Subscribe to the newsletter for all the latest

STAY UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST TO HELP YOU PARENT WITH HEART AND HUMOR WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO THE FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Search This Blog

Must-Read Posts!

Disney family cruise traveling tips, hacks and secrets from a veteran Disney travel agent. Make the most of your Disney experience. Disney Cruise tips. #DisneyCruiseTips #Disney #DisneyCruise #DisneyCruiseHacks #DisneySecrets #DisneyCruiseSecrets #CruiseTips #MamaintheNow #TipsForTravelingWithKids
How to make the most awesome LEGO blanket. This blanket is an instant hit with children, adult fans of LEGO and kids with sensory processing issues.
funny elf on the shelf ideas for boys
Easy DIY red, white and blue patriotic ribbon wands. They are so easy to make that a preschooler can make them! Preschool activity. Perfect for the 4th of July, Memorial Day, Veterans Day or any other parade or reason to wave a ribbon wand!
elf on the shelf shortcuts
Tove Maren Stakkestad is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Privacy Policy and Disclosure Statement

Please read our full Disclosure Statement and Privacy Policy. As an Amazon Associate, I could earn from qualifying purchases. This site uses partner links from other advertising partners.
Copyright ©2023, Mama In The Now. All Rights Reserved. Design by Pixel Me Designs
346 shares
  • 129
 

Loading Comments...