• trying to be sensitive to their desire to communicate when they’re ready
• trying not to put up barriers that may inhibit their attempts to communicate
• offering them honest explanations when we are obviously upset
• listening to and accepting their feelings
• not putting off their questions by telling them they are too young
• trying to find brief and simple answers that are appropriate to their questions; answers that they can understand and that do not overwhelm them with too many words.

Perhaps most difficult of all, it involves examining our own feelings and beliefs so that we can talk to them as naturally as possible when the opportunities arise.

Questions wil always come up. Be honest, if you don't know the answer, let them know, maybe you can try to find out the answer.

Another question is whether or not to take a child to a funeral. The answer is usually yes, it is closure, and death, as much as we are loathe to think of it, is a part of life.  Use your judgement of how long and how much a child can handle., Maybe not a wake, but the service, maybe a Shiva call if the person was not very close.

Remember, as with everything else, we need to teach our children how to handle sadness and loss in much the same way we teach them about the world, with sensitivity and love.