1. How would you explain the death of a grandparent to a 7 year old child?
-In trying to explain Grandpa’s death to a 7 year old, it is important to give brief, simple explanations-they do not need a long, complicated lecture about death. It is important to communicate that Grandpa lived a good life, and his body might be gone but the memories of him will always live with us. In my family, as a Christian, it would be important to explain that Grandpa is now in Heaven with Jesus, and that he has been looking forward to this his whole life. Also, I would tell they child that he will be able to see his grandparent one day when he dies and goes to Heaven.
2. Your 40 year old friend has recently been widowed. List 3 things you should not say to her or do, and explain why?
-Three things you would not to say or do to a recent widow are:
A. You would not want to pretend that the spouse never existed, and to avoid talking about that person altogether. A widow would want to talk about the memories of their spouse, and you should be there to listen and encourage this discussion. It is a positive way for a widow to deal with grief.
B. You would also never want to tell the widow that you know how they feel. It is impossible to even imagine how the person feels unless you have gone through it yourself. It is best to say that you could not imagine what they are going through and that you are here for them whenever they need to talk.
C. I would also never tell them that they can call me if they need anything and just let me know what I can do to help. This is often somewhat insincere; instead I would say something like I am free on the weekends, why don’t I come over and we can do some cooking and gardening. Many people that have encountered a death will not ask for help so it is best to tell them that you want to help,
