“There needs to be consistency and reassurance by the adults around them…”

Babies and toddlers:

• have little understanding of what death means
• may expect the person to return which can lead to searching for the person who has died
• can feel abandoned and will become clingy
• may cry inconsolably to show their anxiety and insecurity.

Young children:

• cannot grasp the permanence of death
• may expect person to return, this can lead to searching for the person who has died
• struggle with concept of someone not being alive
• need reassurance that dead people do not need food, drink or warmth
• ask many questions
• may become anxious or fearful
• may regress in their behaviour
• can be sensitive to the emotions and behaviour of adults around them, particularly if they have not been told or do not understand what has happened.