During the preschool years, when children are 3 to 5 years old, they have a capacity to remember the deceased. They do not, however, understand the processes of dying and do not recognize that death is a permanent loss. Children may believe they have magical capacities that caused the death and that they can make the person return. They may experience intense anxiety and insecurity about separations and are acutely attuned to the emotions of their caretakers. Similar to infants, grief may be expressed in emotions, bodily functions and behavior.
Adaptation is fostered by nurturing adults.
Children express intense emotions and are preoccupied with recollections of the deceased. They understand that death is a process that happens to everyone. Support from parents, family and peers is important in facilitating mourning. They defend against their painful grief by participating in school and social activities. At this age, children suffer from loss of self-esteem related to perceptions of being different because they lost an important loved one.