Age pathway
Grief in Ages 4–6
At this age, questions come again and again, and play becomes the place where grief gets worked out. Death can feel close, magical, and personal all at once. Start here to understand what you are seeing.
Everything on this pathway
Loss type
Illness Loss
7 min
Guide
10 Things Caregivers Need to Know When a Child Loses Someone to Violence
5 min
Loss type
Accident and Sudden Death
7 min
Milestone
Going Back to School
7 min
Loss type
Incarceration and Absence
8 min
Loss type
Suicide Loss
8 min
Milestone
The First Birthdays
7 min
Loss type
Violent Loss
8 min
Learn
What Father Loss Can Do to a Child's Identity
8 min
Learn
What Violent Loss Can Do to a Child's Sense of Safety
7 min
Learn
When a Child Thinks God Should Have Stopped It
7 min
Guide
10 Things Caregivers and Surviving Parents Need to Know About Childhood Grief
6 min
Learn
How Caregivers Can Start a Conversation Without Forcing a Child to Talk
6 min
Guide
Just Because Loss Is Common Doesn't Make It Normal
3 min
Milestone
Mother's Day and Father's Day
7 min
Learn
The Child Who Seems Fine
7 min
Milestone
The First Anniversary
7 min
Milestone
The First Holiday Season
7 min
Loss type
Unknown and Complicated Loss
8 min
Learn
When a Child Becomes Too Mature Too Soon
8 min
Learn
When Grief Looks Like Silence
6 min
Words you can borrow
“Your father's death changed a lot, but it did not remove your place in this family.”
“You may understand different parts of this loss as you get older. We can keep talking about him.”
“You are allowed to have questions. You are allowed to be angry. I do not have an easy answer, but I will not leave you alone with the question.”
“You may feel less safe after what happened. That makes sense. We are going to keep talking about safety together.”
“What happened was not your fault. It was not your job to stop it. You are still allowed to be a child.”
“You do not have to ask every question today. When questions come, I want you to know we can talk about them.”