How old were you when realized you were going to die someday?

[Rita]

Interesting questions. On one level they can be answered in very simple ways, but way more difficult to consider when you answering to a six year old. Do you just tell them the truth, like ‘ Yes death can be painful but not always if it is sudden and also modern medicine can help ease the pain ‘ or ‘ No one knows when they will die , unless they have a terminal illness ‘ ( that would open up a load of other questions !

Some more simple ‘ Yes I would cry if you died and you would cry if I died, but this is because we care about one another we would miss one another ‘

‘ How wonderful to know that we will meet Jesus one day, and yes he may have the same eye colour as you ‘

It’s quite difficult isn’t it …..I am trying to remember if my children ever asked me things like that, I did always try and answer them as honest as I could if they did.

 

[Matthias]

Interesting questions. On one level they can be answered in very simple ways, but way more difficult to consider when you answering to a six year old. Do you just tell them the truth, like ‘ Yes death can be painful but not always if it is sudden and also modern medicine can help ease the pain ‘ or ‘ No one knows when they will die , unless they have a terminal illness ‘ ( that would open up a load of other questions !

Some more simple ‘ Yes I would cry if you died and you would cry if I died, but this is because we care about one another we would miss one another ‘

‘ How wonderful to know that we will meet Jesus one day, and yes he may have the same eye colour as you ‘

It’s quite difficult isn’t it …..I am trying to remember if my children ever asked me things like that, I did always try and answer them as honest as I could if they did.

I’m not sure how much a “typical / average” child these days thinks and talks about death. It seems to me more often than they did when I was a child over fifty years ago.

 

[Rita]

I’m not sure how much a “typical / average” child these days thinks and talks about death. It seems to me more often than they did when I was a child over fifty years ago.

I think it would depend on circumstances still - if they have pets that die, or if someone dies within their families when they are young. Also I have noticed that social media and news outlets focus on bad news all the time, and as this is all around us, it stands to reason that more young children will hear about it.

 

[Aunty Jane]

A few examples:

When will I die?

Why will I die? Do you think someone wants to kill me?

How much does it hurt when you die?

When you die, will I cry? When I die, will people cry?

After I die I’m going to see what color Jesus’ eyes are. Do you think his eyes are the same color as mine?

Should I be afraid of dying?

My friend at school said his grandmother died and they are going to have a party. Do dead people go to parties?

How long will I sleep when I’m dead?

Deep questions for a 6 year old…..the concept of death is not usually understood by young children until they lose a loved one and are confronted with that one’s absence in their life. This is what usually promotes the questions about death…..this child’s questions reflect a deeper need to understand.

What was the Sunday School lesson?

 

[Matthias]

Deep questions for a 6 year old…..the concept of death is not usually understood by young children until they lose a loved one and are confronted with that one’s absence in their life. This is what usually promotes the questions about death…..this child’s questions reflect a deeper need to understand.

I agree.

What was the Sunday School lesson?

I think there may be more than one driving it. It started with a lesson on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.