Explaining dying

[Sholi]

My 3 and a half year old keeps asking what dying is. Had no experience of it, but obviously heard things- flowers, roadkill etc.
Tried to explain that your body is very tired or poorly and the real you goes somewhere else.
This was met with but how will I watch if I die if my eyes are in my body- will my head be cut off. At a complete loss re what to say. Don't want to give an overtly religious answer.

Feel terrible asking in an abstract sense when some have ben through such terrible things. Huge respect to you.

Hi - haven't really got much advice but would like to echo what people have been saying about not saying sleep.

We had our very poorly hamster put down a couple of years ago - dd2 was only 3 and we had said then the vet had put her to sleep.

All was fine until my dad was due to have a major op - cue questions from dd2 about the 'sleep' he was going to have and was it like the hamsters?

I would find a book in the library that you like and go through it with him.

I agree with Kissingfrogs; there are many beliefs about death and a huge proportion of the world's population believe in reincarnation (as I do too). How does anyone know it is not true?
I like the idea of the candle and the flame to explain the body and the 'inner part' but in my case would probably take it further and show that you can make the flame again and light another candle (although not the same one twice - need to work on this idea).
DD is 3 and talks about this a lot.