re: teaching 4 year old about death

I didn't find out about death until I was 7 or 8. It was hard. I was traumatized for a long time after the whole idea really set in my head after my great grandmother died and I saw her body in the casket.

<blockquote><b>Quoting summerbabyX2:</b>" I like that about rejoining the Earth, I think he would get that. I don't want to lie to him, I just ... [snip!] ... him, I just want to explain it in a way he will understand. I just wish I was prepaired for it. I mean all this over a fish..."</blockquote>



My kid was satisfied by that answer, and hasn't really asked much since. On the few occasions he has- I show him the life cycle of plants, stars, things like that which don't bring on such an emotional response. Have you read the essay "you want a physicist to speak at your funeral"? You may get ideas from that, it's awesome.

As a teacher I find it absolutely ridiculous that some parents think we need to run every. little. thing past them. No offense, but we are the certified ones... we know what we're doing. A fish dying is not worth the time to send every parent an e-mail, that is just crazy. -.-

I was pissed that I had to teach my 2.5 year old that her sister died. Smurf happens. They have to learn it eventually.. I'd rather explain it to a 4 year old than a 2.5 year old.

I'm not religious, and don't believe there is a "Heaven" (where God lets you in and all that jazz), but we taught our daughter that her sister didn't get to come home because she grew wings. And now she sits in the clouds watching over us.

Quoting bbbt:" As a teacher I find it absolutely ridiculous that some parents think we need to run every. little. thing ... [snip!] ... ones... we know what we're doing. A fish dying is not worth the time to send every parent an e-mail, that is just crazy. -.- "

they send us mass texts like everyday over the dumbest stuff, reminders for book orders, corrections on papers they gave us. My kid is really sensitive and was actually crying over this so yeah a text would have been nice

Quoting summerbabyX2:" they send us mass texts like everyday over the dumbest stuff, reminders for book orders, corrections ... [snip!] ... on papers they gave us. My kid is really sensitive and was actually crying over this so yeah a text would have been nice"

Your kid may be the center of your universe but when he is in a class of 20 + kids, you can't expect a personalized text message because he's "sensitive." Come on now.

My kids (5 and 3) both know about death. I just answer them truthfully, as best I can. I explained to them everything will die eventually, it's inevitable. It's not something to be scared about. It's ok to feel sad when someone/something dies. If my kids ask a question, about anything. I will answer them without having to lie. I'm not going to dumb things down for them, they're smart enough to understand.

Quoting bbbt:" Your kid may be the center of your universe but when he is in a class of 20 + kids, you can't expect a personalized text message because he's "sensitive." Come on now. "

like I said they have us all on a mass text list so it would have been 1 text. It wouldn't have been that freaking hard to do considering she texts us over other things. If she saw my son was upset by anything at school she should have mentioned it to me. I don't expect personal attention for my kids, my son said a lot of the kids were sad and crying so really a text over something that upset a kid vs a text over a book order?
Anyway, I think he'll understand the life cycle idea and I'll try that tomorrow with him. Thanks for that idea