I don't expect to die until I'm very very old and you're all grown up. But in the unlikely event that I do, your aunt and uncle will take care of you. It is also important for parents to understand that it is normal for children to grieve at each stage of their development. As they get older and their awareness increases, they may want more information. Often, children aged 8 to 10 have the most difficult time coping with such tragedies, according to James Loomis, a psychologist on the bereavement team at Connecticut Children's Medical Center.
Adolescents have the cognitive tools to deal with it.
Talking is the best way to get at any kind of stress. The children whose fathers were killed by disgruntled lottery worker Matthew Beck range in age from 2 to 11. Counseling is already well under way at the Avon and Southington schools where the victims' children are students. Eckert, at the Wheeler Clinic, said her team and other professionals were called to help at Roaring Brook Elementary School in Avon. Crisanne Colgan, principal of Roaring Brook, said counseling has been under way at the school since Friday.