The death of a loved one is a very complicated issue to address in childhood. When a child lives a death closely, adults are the ones who must contain it and help them overcome the trance to avoid possible trauma.
Specialists recommend always telling them the truth and answering all your questions with the utmost sincerity by speaking to them in a way that is understandable for each age.
Books are a good help in these cases. They are a very interesting complementary material so that children, especially the little ones, may face a grieving situation such as a serious illness or the death of a relative.
I was very impressed to hear the news that the Funeral Services of Barcelona will distribute this year to all the schools of the city and its metropolitan area the story 'His smell… ', by the author Conxita Larrull, that by the way, I love the title because it leaves aside traumatic phrases to emphasize something that children can remember of the person as "their smell".
The story tells the story of three sisters of 2, 8 and 16 whose mother dies in an accident. Each one reacts differently until they gradually adapt to the new situation. In addition, the story is accompanied by a manual so that parents and educators know how to talk with children about death.
The idea seems great to teach children that death is not a taboo subject, but is part of life. The complicated thing is to face the duel, but I believe that sincerity and affection are the best weapons to overcome it.
