how do i explain death to a 3 1/2 year old?

[Mommy_Jellybean]

My daughter's fish died over the weekend when we were away. I had food in there for it like we always do. But we came home and she was sitting at the bottom of the tank. I am gonna tell her tonight after work about little Aqua... how do I help her understand it?

[SarahLizyB]

If you believe in god and heaven, maybe say its in a better place. That's all i got. I'm an atheist and explain it in a different way

[Elyssa414]

We are not religious, so when I had to tell my kids about grandad dying I said that when you die you become a part of all things. So grandad is always with us, we just can't see him anymore.

[Mommy_Jellybean]

How would you explain it?

Quoting SarahLizyB:

If you believe in god and heaven, maybe say its in a better place. That's all i got. I'm an atheist and explain it in a different way

[Lunarprancer]

 

Quoting Elyssa414:

We are not religious, so when I had to tell my kids about grandad dying I said that when you die you become a part of all things. So grandad is always with us, we just can't see him anymore.

 Thank you for this.  My dd is four and my dad is getting pretty old.  I wondered how I would explain it to her when he passes.  This helps.

[Elyssa414]

Be prepared for some strange questions... My son was four too and he was like, "so if he's a part of everything, is he in this pie?? Did I just eat Grandad?" or "why can't we see grandad on the TV if he's in everything??"

It made for some interesting, (and some funny) conversations, but it really helped both of us work it out, discussing all the possibilities of where grandad could be.

Quoting Lunarprancer:

 

Quoting Elyssa414:

We are not religious, so when I had to tell my kids about grandad dying I said that when you die you become a part of all things. So grandad is always with us, we just can't see him anymore.

 Thank you for this.  My dd is four and my dad is getting pretty old.  I wondered how I would explain it to her when he passes.  This helps.

[Kaliary]

I told my son that the spirit, the part inside you that makes you you, goes to a better place where nothing is bad or frustrating or can hurt you, and your body has to stay here, and so that's why we bury it, so it can go back to being part of the earth, and when someone dies, their spirit stays in this really good place so that eventuley when everyone that person loves and cares about dies, they can all see eachother again there. 

My great grandmother (so his Great great grandmother) just passed away in December. 

[iloveashton804]

 The fishy was very sick and went to fishy heaven, lol.

[Mommy_Jellybean]

Yeah, its probably gonna be something like that... like she took care of the fishy so well and god only takes the best and he needed another fishy in heaven and Aqua was the best fishy... I just don't want to see her sad or cry. She absolutely loved that fish. Anytime anyone came over she would take them to see Aqua and show her off.

Quoting iloveashton804:

 The fishy was very sick and went to fishy heaven, lol.

[LRay121]

From a religious perspective-

I had a chit chat about death with the 4 year old I nanny for. She asked why people die and I told her that heaven is God's town and He tells us that we get to have a life on earth, but when he is ready for us to move to his town in heaven, we get to go have a BIG party and we can stay there forever and ever! We each get a big house, and get to see all the people that love us SO much. I guess it goes for fish too- it was her fishes turn to get a party in heaven! And he get's his own mansion and see all his brothers and sisters and he'll never be lonely or sad

[Mommy_Jellybean]

Bump!!