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FAQs | GLOSSARY | STAFF | TCHAP HOME
Children’s Understanding of Death:
• Death is not seen as permanent, but rather, as reversible and temporary.
• Death may be confused with sleeping or being away, with the belief that the person will return.
• Death may be seen as violent.
• Child considers self as center of universe (egocentric-see all events as either caused by or related to themselves)
• Death may be seen as caused by a death wish-or that anger may produce death.
These are examples of magical thinking:
• Child may think he might catch the same thing.
• Child may think dead people live underground.
Possible Related Behaviors:
• May show little concern at times or may go back to bedwetting, thumbsucking, baby talk, and/or fear of dark.
• May show fear of separation from significant others at bedtime or attending preschool.
• May need to talk about the death a lot, often at what seems inappropriate times. This repetition helps make it real for a preschooler. Child may need to repeat the fact of death. He may say such things as, “We’re all going to the zoo, but not Daddy, he’s dead.”
What You Can Say/Do:
• Tell them about what they can expect; how things might look and what might happen.
• Encourage anyone explaining the death to this child to us the terms “dead/death.”
• Do not use phrases like "passed away, sleeping, taken from us, resting, or sleeping with God."
• Respond to the child’s security needs about “who will take care of me?
• Keep explanations short, simple, and truthful. Repeat if necessary.
 Select from the links below for more information about specific age groups:
• Infants
• Preschool
• Schoolage
• Adolescents
Source: University of Nebraska Medical Center Child Life Department and Munroe-Meyer Institution, Copyright 1986. 5th reprint March 1999. For copies contact the Child Life Department (402) 559-6775.
If you have further questions or concerns, please contact us:
• Mother/Baby Unit: 261-4892
• Newborn Intensive Care Unit: 261-3614
• Pediatric Intensive Care: 261-3133
• Spiritual Care Department: 261-3275
• Social Worker on-call: 562-2211
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