DEATH | Talktoyourkids

Survey Results: Death

Have your children ever asked questions about What happens to people or animals when they die?

Of the parents who answered this question, results showed:

What did parents say to their children about what happens to people when they die?

Of these, half stated that they believed in God

and half stated they didn't believe but talked about heaven to ease the concept of death.

“In our family, we believe in heaven. So, we tell our children that when you die, your body remains here on earth and is either cremated or buried and your soul goes to heaven to be with God.”
“I personally don’t believe in an afterlife but I find myself bringing up that... as a way of softening the conversation."

Do you worry that conversations about death might be too advanced for your child?

(1 = not concerned, 5 = very concerned)

“We have talked about death before because it’s a natural part of life.”
“We explained that everything dies (plants, animals and people). We used a scientific approach.”
“Everything does [die], usually when it grows old but sometimes too soon. Our bodies go back to the land and turn to earth after a long period of time.”

How confident are you in sharing information about death with your child?

(1 = not confident, 5 = very confident)

Most parents incorporated religion into their conversations or spoke about heaven or an afterlife.

Some parents said that they explained death as something scientific.