"What is dead?"

[crumpet]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but I haven't found it. We were reading Little Red Riding Hood this evening, and dd for the first time focussed on the fact that the woodcutter killed the wolf, and wanted to know what killing and dead were. When I tried to explain, she just asked whether the wolf would then go outside, so I clearly hadn't got close...

What did you say to yours when they asked? She's nearly 4, and whilst we do go to church from time to time, I don't want to only go down the angels route.

Thanks

this might help

my hand in glove explanation really worked for DS

Like it - thanks very much

My dd1 first came across death when her dog died, so she learned that it meant Rosie wasn't coming back. Tragically her next experience was when her friend died - they were both four. So she knew that he wouldn't be able to play with her anymore and that he wasn't coming back . We explained that S. had an 'inside' person and an 'outside' person and that the 'inside' person was in heaven and the 'outside' was buried in the churchyard. However, I'm not sure dd1 would have grasped it if I'd just been trying to explain it from a story, I think they have to go through losing someone or something before they understand.

Yes, this time last year her grandparents' dog died, and she seemed to accept that the dog was dead and not coming back. She even linked it to the sunflowers, asking if they were dead like X the dog, but this time she seems to want and be ready for more explanation. Shan't enjoy explaining killing though...

We live in the country so 'killing' is pretty routine. Haven't explained about people killing other people though . Bloody hell, I have enough trouble with that one!

here you go

Gaaaaah - wrong thread

im really wondering this too, my eldest is 5 he knows both my dad and dh dad have died they live in the clouds we do lots of things to celebrate them and think of them but i amd dredding the day when he asks how did the die in depth at the mo i tell him they had an accident, half of this is true dh dad did but my dad was murdered i suppose i just wait until he asks more but i want to protect him from the a world that is so cruel