Explaining death to a child should be done with care so that the
child is not confused or unnecessarily frightened. A young child
may not be able to understand the difference between "gone to
heaven" and "gone out of town"-the child may be waiting for the
person to return. A family's religious faith can be a great
source of strength, but it should be related to a child in a way
that he or she can understand. Some religious concepts (for
instance, the Christian concept of resurrection) may too
abstract to comfort a young child. Likewise, care should be
taken when comparing death to familiar events in life. Comparing
death to sleep, for instance, can cause a child to fear going to
sleep. Children need honesty about what has happened to help
them understand and accept the reality of death. A parent or
other caregiver needs to explain what happened to the person who
died in a way that the child can understand. It is not necessary
to give all the details, and the age and maturity of the child
need to be considered