My mums is going to die within the next couple of days. We've been doing some reading about how to tell the kids she's going, avoiding the "gone to sleep" or "she's gone away" type of conversations .
They've been visiting her all through her Illness and know she's not going to get better, but I'm wondering if we should start explaining that she's going to die sooner rather than later.
We're not religious, so we're not doing the going to heaven thing.
Just wondered if anybody has any experience of telling a 3 yo their grandparent is going to do soon and how you did it?
No experience but wish you luck.
Having lost a parent around that age, I'd say the most important thing is to be open to talking about it, which you clearly are. Can't help with how to tell them, tho that matters less IMO.
Just be straight and honest with them, kids are extremely robust and will deal with the whole thing far better than an adult. The trickiest bit is realising they'll start to forget pretty quickly and there's not much you can do. Trust me it sucks.
Akita beat me it it.
Best of luck and sorry to hear what you are going through. My sympathies.
Children are often more robust than adults IME.
I'm not sure that they're robust as such, just less able to understand the complex emotions that go with the loss of a loved one.
Be straight with them, but don't worry about it too much or over think it. They're only 3.
Sorry to hear about your Mum, I hope her passing is peaceful.
My mother-in-law died when our daughter was two years old. We were honest and said she wouldn't see grandma anymore as grandma had died. We then explained more when she asked questions. She accepted it and has always been very matter of fact about it.
Sorry to hear you are in that situation - having lost a parent it can be a really hard time.
As per Akira, but with brakes's caveat re: robustness. Usually the reality of the situation is tempered by their inability to process the ramifications of the situation, in a way someone older could.
This will be their first experience of loss.
They are too young to have all the baggage we do around it.
My mother in law died when my son was 3 1/2 years old. We told him straight out that she had died after being ill. He was very sad, as you'd expect, but I think the sense of loss only started coming out a few years later. He still mentions his grandma and says he misses her so I don't think they get over it as some people have suggested.
We've only just got around to telling him over the last few months that the graveyard is where grandma was buried, as we weren't sure if he was ready to hear that at the time.
It was a hard thing to do, best of luck to you..