ABSTRACT
A child in an environment of openness and sharing about death will develop healthy attitudes as he moves through his own process of growth and development. In the absence of honest discussions about death, a child will misinterpret cliches that most adults understand. The most effective teachers, counsellors, and caretakers in the area of helping others to deal with death and dying are the people who have themselves clarified their own thinking, attitudes, and feelings about death in general and about their own mortality in particular. The child's question prompts fear in the parents about death as well as the safety and well-being of the child. A healthy situation for parents, teachers and other significant adults who spend time with children is to encourage them to express their feelings. Parents who are unable to discuss death and dying with their children can help them to learn through alternative means.
