Telling a child that someone has died by suicide

Before children access our support, it’s important that they know how their loved one died. This is to make sure that they learn about the suicide first-hand, in a safe and supported way. There is no ‘right time’ or ‘right age’ to talk to your child about suicide, but providing honest and age-appropriate details of how a loved one died can help build trust and paves the way for healthy and open grieving.
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● Try not to create a story which you may later need to back-track on. This creates stigma around the death and makes it difficult for family and friends to talk openly about the person who died. Children are often aware that something is being withheld, which can make them feel isolated and unable to talk about their loved one.
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● Describe the death in a clear and brief way, without giving too much initial detail. Try not to use ambiguous language (e.g use the word ‘died’ rather than ‘gone to sleep’). Focus on ‘what’ has happened rather than ‘why’.

● Children will then guide you on what extra information they need through asking. This may take some time, so continue to allow space for their questions and answer as honestly as possible. It’s okay to say ‘I don’t know’.