Most parents often fear talking to their children about death and grief. Some believe that children will not understand. Parents often become anxious when kids bring up death. All of this avoidance and secrecy can lead to confusion about death and grieving for children. Children begin to assume that grown ups do not like to talk about death.
Children are very perceptive to changes that occur in the daily routines of life.
When their parents are upset they pick up on those cues and can identify that something is wrong. Children will attempt to understand death and grief even if the parent is not verbally saying anything. The body language, the emotional cues, and behavior changes parents display will be pertinent in the child s perception of death and grief. Social norms, values, and cultural beliefs also are important in determining how the meanings of grief and death are defined. Before going any further let me first briefly describe the meanings of these sociological terms.