feelings is for a parent or caregiver to be open in sharing his/her own thoughts and feelings. Reassure children as they bring up their fears. However irrational their fears may seem, attempt to view them in terms of a child’s devel- opment. A child can usually accept explanations when he/she knows there is adequate support from a parent or caregiver. Responses to fears that are direct, simple, and clear, accompanied by touching and holding, are the best responses.
Understand that children frequently substitute feelings they can handle for those they cannot. They may giggle or laugh at things that are not funny. It is important to view this behavior as adaptive coping. No matter how comfortable a child becomes with an age-appropriate explanation of death, he/she will reprocess the experience and his/ her feelings about it at each developmental level, throughout his/her lifetime. As a child matures, he/she will need additional information about
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