How Do I Explain Death to a Toddler?
Submitted by liliokalani90
My mother passed away last month and it has affected my family and I more than I can begin to say. Her death was not a sudden one, she had ovarian cancer so we were all able to prepare ourselves for this day, all of us except my youngest.
We used to go over to her house every Saturday, and my 20-month-old knows that the day that Daddy doesn't leave is the day we see Tutu (what she calls my mom). So she has been asking me, "Where's Tutu?" every weekend. I don't know what to tell her or how to explain to her so she can understand that her Tutu is gone. It hurts me to hear her asking for her tutu and not be able to explain to her what happened. So, I've been telling her that she's not here and she'll start throwing a tantrum for her Tutu.
I'm at a loss. How do I explain to her that her Tutu is never going to come back???
We used to go over to her house every Saturday, and my 20-month-old knows that the day that Daddy doesn't leave is the day we see Tutu (what she calls my mom). So she has been asking me, "Where's Tutu?" every weekend. I don't know what to tell her or how to explain to her so she can understand that her Tutu is gone. It hurts me to hear her asking for her tutu and not be able to explain to her what happened. So, I've been telling her that she's not here and she'll start throwing a tantrum for her Tutu.
I'm at a loss. How do I explain to her that her Tutu is never going to come back???
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