To think that children should not be told this at a young age?

[InkyPunkyGothyPoo]

I won’t state the ages of my children just yet for in case I get flamed. And I’m not strong enough to deal with that currently.

So for now I’ll just ask the following question.

At what age do you feel it appropriate to tell a child that a grandparent is dying of cancer?

Bearing in mind this is a grandparent that is seen roughly 6-8 times a year.

Thanks in advance.

I was about 6 when my Nan died, no one told me anything , she hadn't been ill so it wasn't possible to have the talk about death etc , but I wasn't told that she had died ,I just wondered why my mum was crying . Same with my grandad (on my dads side) , I was just left to wonder . I really wish my parents had spoken to me .

So sorry you are having to deal with this. I found Winston’s Wish charity helpline so helpful when trying to find the right way to explain the death of close family members to my 4year old. They suggested age appropriate language and how to explain illness, cancer, death and funerals to children. I found the advice invaluable and being able to chat to a person trained in dealing with children and bereavement helped me to explain when grieving myself. They produce books for different aged children and were so helpful at a very difficult time.

Wishing you all the best.

I'm not sure they have less of a problem with it. The problem is different where younger children struggle to understand the concept of death and what it means when someone is never coming back. That in itself is fraught with problems.