This article discusses dala obtained from interviews with 56 children aged 8 to 12 years from six schools in Adelaide, South Australia, and 38 parents after a grandparent's death. It also explores the idea that when someone close to a child dies, adults have an opportunity to help the child understand and address spiritual concerns concerning the death. The children were asked questions about (1) their relationship with the grandparent before the death, (2) how they learned of the death, and (3) their mourning rituals and reactions. An analysis of these data revealed hat many of the children's comments seemed surprisingly slraightforward and mature, suggesting a level of insight and self-awareness not usually attributed to children, whereas the parents' comments revealed a lack of awareness regarding their children's thoughts and feelings about the death. The author concludes bat adults who share thcir insecurities or hesitancies with children, acknowledge their inability to alleviate all the discomfort surrounding a death, and help the children formulate qucstions rather than altempt to supply them with ready answers may prove to be most effective in helping cliildrcn develop and in providing them with lasting comfort.
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