Year: 1974 Source: American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, v.44, no.3, (1974), p.404-411 SIEC No: 19820304

Author suggests the following guidelines for talking with children about death: 1)share feelings before death & work thru whether rational or irrational, 2)silence teaches subject is taboo & doesn’t cope with feeling of loss, 3)be simple, direct & draw from child’s experiences, & 4)fantasy concerning the permanence of death can cause guilt & anxiety.(BB)