by Thomas Hobson
Child Life Director

There are times that death seems like one of the most taboo topics in our society. It is one of the most difficult experiences a family can go through.  To make the situation harder, the thought of talking to children about death can be hard for parents.  Death is a topic that many feel like the have no idea what to say or which words to use.  Having children ask questions about death can be even harder when, especially if you are still processing your own feelings. 

This past Wednesday (April 14, 2010), PBS aired a Sesame Street special dealing with children and grief.  It centers on the character Elmo and the death of his uncle, and is hosted by Katie Couric.  Much like every thing else done by the Children’s Television Workshop, it is extremely well done and is a wonderful resource for parents.

I’ve included a clip from an interview done earlier this week on the special:

If you would like to see the entire episode of PBS’ When Families Grieve, the Sesame Street special click here.

There are situations in the hospital when families have to talk to their child about the death of a loved one.  Here at Le Bonheur Children’s, Child Life Services has served as a resource for families in these situations.  We work together with the rest of the interdisciplinary team to help equip families with the right tools to communicate.

Additionally, there are some wonderful resources in the community that can provide support to you and your child.  If you have a child that has been struggling to cope with a recent death, I would recommend looking into Camp BraveHearts. It is a family grief camp that is hosted by Methodist Hospice and has several of us in Child Life Services working directly with the camp.

Talking with children about death and grief can be one of the hardest conversations that you can have.  Just know that there are wonderful resources in the community to help with preparing for the discussion and providing support during the grief process.  It may not be something that you’re comfortable talking about, but it will be a strengthen experience for both you and your child.