Asbestos

Grief

Children and Grief

Common Questions

There are some common questions that children ask about death, though they may be phrased in different ways. The same question might be asked several times but in different guises. One question is "Did I cause the death?" Children often think that they have magical powers. If in an argument the child says or thinks, "I wish you were dead" and then the person dies, the child may feel responsible for his or her death.

"Is it going to happen to me?" The death of another child can be especially hard for a child. If the child thinks that the death could have been avoided or prevented (by a parent or a doctor) then the child may think that he or she could also die.

Questions like "Where did they go?", "Are they coming back?" and "Can they still hear/see me?" should be answered according to the family's spiritual or philosophical beliefs.

"Who's going to take care of me?" Because children depend on their parents and other adults to take care of them, a grieving child may wonder who will care and provide for them after the death of a parent or other important person.