What should children be told?

There are no right or wrong answers – every family’s situation is different. 

• • Being willing to talk and listen is often much more important than what is actually said.

What to tell your children will probably depend on a couple of things:

• • How comfortable you are talking about what has happened, and how old they are.
  • Whatever their age though, children need clear and honest explanations.

Children of all ages like and need to make sense of the things that happen to them and their family:

• • As far as possible try to explain what has happened, how it was caused and what the effects are.
  • Children may ask you questions that you do not know the answers to. 
  • It is okay to tell them that you do not know yet either.