Advise on dealing with a death in the family and a toddlers understanding

This is an incredibly tough situation. My family just went through a similar situation with my mother-in-law. My kids are 3 and 5. We just told them that Grandma was very sick. I really didn't think they needed too much more detail that that. When she passed, we told them that she had died and went to heaven to be with God. My 3 year old kept wanting to check the bedroom to see if Grandma was still in bed. We just took our cues from them and answered their questions as best we could. I really think its ok to cry and explain to them that you are sad because grandpa is so sick. Good luck with the situation.

My family went through this a little over a year ago with my stepdad. My neices and nephews had a really hard time with him passing. My brother was up front with the kids, but very gentle and understanding. He explained that Grandpa was very sick and he had died and went to heaven. He had talked to them a couple times before about him being sick and that's why he looked the way he did. The kids cried and they were consoled, but the hardest was the funeral home/funeral. That was the hardest part for my nieces who are the oldest of the kids. Luckily we had bears that held hugs "from Grandpa" which helped a lot. I know what you're going through and it's not easy. If you need any other help just let us know. We're here for everyone.

My family went through this a little over a year ago with my stepdad. My neices and nephews had a really hard time with him passing. My brother was up front with the kids, but very gentle and understanding. He explained that Grandpa was very sick and he had died and went to heaven. He had talked to them a couple times before about him being sick and that's why he looked the way he did. The kids cried and they were consoled, but the hardest was the funeral home/funeral. That was the hardest part for my nieces who are the oldest of the kids. Luckily we had bears that held hugs "from Grandpa" which helped a lot. I know what you're going through and it's not easy. If you need any other help just let us know. We're here for everyone.

what our peditrician has always told us is don't give them more information than they ask for. Very simplistic wording and examples. Your gut will guide you too. We lost two grandmas and a great grandma all within six weeks total time. Wow that was a hard one. But by using the facts that there is something that is hurting them(becareful with sick--then everytime someone else that is close or even themselves get ill they can worry)and God wants to take their pain away and he can do that when they come to live with him in heaven. We believe in Angels too. We beleive that they are always watching over us and keeping us safe. We celebrate this too on special occassions with ballons that we send up to heaven at the end of a birthday party. This happened when my 3 year old daughter was very tired one day, she had gone to meijers with an aunt and bought a ballon home from the store, in the windy month of september, the ballon went flying off instead of making it into the car for the trip home. I had to think twice fast to keep a crabby 3 year old from a melt down. As quick as it happened I said oh look your it was nice that you sent your balloon up to heaven for grandma ! Wow that did the trick and to this day we always have a few balloons at our celebrations and then release the latex ones to heaven and watch them disappear.

Ask for Gods help and he will guide you, it is a very hard road to travel with children but they remember the good times and you may find them someday standing out in a beautiful day just talking to someone that you don't see, it will be their grandpa!