Babies and children aged 0-3 cannot cognitively understand death. They feel the emptiness and absence of the deceased, the child who cannot express himself cognitively feels pain and tension in his body. When they are lost caregivers, they experience tension about not meeting their needs. Sadness, anxiety, eating disorders, sleep problems, developmental deviation, regression, increased crying are possible reactions in children in this age range. Meeting the needs of the child and having a stable caregiver can be defined as the most important help that can be given to children.
Children over the age of 3 do not realize that death is a phenomenon that happens to everyone. In particular, he has no perception of his own mortality. Children at this age have difficulty in realizing that they will never see their deceased loved one again. Death to children of this age should be expressed as concretely as possible. It should be explained that his heart does not beat, his heart does not hurt, he will not come again. He sees us went to heaven and so on. narratives may cause the child to perceive death as a place that can be returned. He died because he was sick, he died because he was old, he died in his sleep, etc. rhetoric can cause the child to develop fear and anxiety. During this period, children may experience symptoms such as enuresis, encopresis, sleep disorders, tantrums, and hyperactivity.
Children at school age begin to realize that the deceased will not come. Children aged 7-11 know that death is a universal irreversible process and that they will die one day. Between the ages of 7-11, children do not accept death and oppose it. In this period, the child may react such as escaping from reality and taking shelter in dreams. However, death is permanent, death is biological, the deceased does not think or feel. The child can grasp these realities. During this period, children may experience symptoms such as somatic complaints, school refusal, low school success, inability to pay attention, quarrelsomeness, and aggression. I'm going to tell you something that's hard for me to say. It should be expressed in clear sentences as your mother, father, brother died, he is no longer alive. Many people will come to our house today to share our sadness with the child. clears. Maybe there are those who cry a lot or suffer silently. You too can experience sadness in many different ways.
For the child, the death of an attachment figure is a developmental loss beyond losing a loved one. Accompanying survivors, safe touches, re-establishment of routines, and planning predictable safe steps form the basis of psychological support for children at this age.
Death during adolescence may be perceived as an adult. Adolescents who experience mood swings may experience feelings of guilt about death.
The child who comes into contact with loss experiences many emotions. The presence and environment of adults who give the child a grieving space is very important. It is very important that adults and children can share their feelings and share memories.
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