They seem to be fascinated with the physical aspects of death. They may wonder where a deceased person is. If told death is like sleeping, children may expect the deceased to wake up. They may believe that grandma will return as she does from vacation. Some children may imagine heaven as a wonderful place with white clouds and sunshine.
Preschoolers still think that death happens only to others.
Your child is slowly beginning to realize that death is a part of life. The finality of death becomes clearer to school age children. They understand that even people close to them can die. They may find it hard to talk about death because they're afraid. Rituals may help them cope with the death of a loved one.