that if anything is active, it is alive. A wind-up toy seems alive when it moves, and a child might cry when it stops performing. A stuffed animal seems alive during play because it has assumed life-like characteristics.
Children ages four to six understand death best when explained in physical terms.
A limited concept of time added to a limited con- cept of death means that when a loved one dies, the child may expect the deceased to be alive again soon. Children may accept the news of the death in a matter-of-fact manner and may speak of the death or deceased person in the same detached way they speak of a playmate or pet. If the dead loved one was a parent or caregiver, the child’s primary worry will be about who will care for him/her. The child may cry because of disruptions in the household or the reactions of others, rather than thinking of the death itself. Abstract concepts such as “life after death” are beyond his/her thinking ability. In an effort to understand what has happened, young children will ask all kinds of questions that are sometimes alarming to adults. Ques- tions like, “How will Daddy go to the bathroom?” or “Can we open our presents at the cemetery?”
4
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease