Anyone else have a child obsessed with death?

[TIdoublegaER]

My youngest DD, who is 6, is obsessed with death! She focuses in on anything where someone might be dead. I just don't understand it. Whether we pass a car accident or she hears something on the news or if there is severe weather - she wants to know if anybody died. Heaven help us if there is any mention on TV of 9/11 - she will go on and on about how the WTC fell down and all the people that died and how sad that was. It just seems unnatural to me for a small child to be so concerned about death.

 

[CruiserDew73]

Nah, my little brother is sometimes like that, and he's about 5 and 1/2, they're just really curious

 

[dzneprincess]

not so much here lately, but my 6 yr old DD was very concerned about it also, about 4 months back. She was concerned about when my DH and I would die, when she would die, everything would be about when someone or something was going to die. We just tried to answer her questions as honestly as we could, and explained that she had a very long time before mom or dad died. One day, this curiosity juat went away. Maybe it's the age?

 

[TIdoublegaER]

It might be the age - although my older DD never went through anything like this.

I should also mention that she is a complete worry wart. We are under a tornado watch right now (no big deal - happens all the time here in the midwest) and it is sunny outside with no clouds to be found. She is soooo concerned that there might be a tornado tonight. I have a difficult time trying to convince her that everything is ok and that if the weather does get bad, we can go to the basement.

I hope this is just a phase, but I think its genetic and she got it from DH's side of the family. My MIL and her mother are both total worry warts as well.

 

[greenberet]

I don't have any children but I have dealt with similiar circumstances. have a talk with her and explain that yes death is natural and common. Tell her about how people feel when those close die. Talk about the saddes and lonliness. I know this might not be the right thing to say but just a suggestion

 

[greenberet]

sory I can't type

 

[Sonya]

I was like that as a kid, worring about death, the house catching on fire, and as I'm in KC too, tornadoes. It was just something I had to work through. Just give her a lot of hugs, she's probably just freaked out by the idea that no one lives forever and it might take a while to adjust to this new idea.

I saw the tornado watch on TV too and looked out the wondow- total sun! Crazy weather we have here, huh? I do hope no severe weather develops though. There was a tornado in southern Nebraska.

 

[Robinrs]

I wouldn't say he's obsessed but my son has serious experience with it and is now concerned about my mortality.

He lost his aunt, cat and both grandparents in less than two years and he's only 10. He is ultra protective of me now and everytime I cough he freaks out.

I try my best to convince him that everything's going to be okay but I realize that he has to have more time to be convinced of that. In the meantime I try to make his life liveable and light, it's a stretch but I have to.

Does your daughter see death as a horrible or bad thing or does your family have any beliefs that concern the afterlife? I know telling my son that he will see his grandparents again and that they are now our guardian angels helps him alot. Like my Dad taught me, death is only a "see ya later" not a "goodbye". I'm so glad he taught me that.

God Bless,

Robinrs

 

[TIdoublegaER]

We're not very religious - non practicing catholics - but I do believe there is something after death and have conveyed that to the kids (so has DH). We haven't had any friends/relatives close to us pass away so the closest we have gotten is the cat and one of my mom's dogs. But I don't think it is related to that because she was this way before the cat and dog died. She asked if Tigger and Buster went to heaven and I told her yes.

It seems to really be about "unnatural" death. Car accidents, weather related deaths, etc. I'll have to ask her if she is afraid that something bad will happen to one of us or her. Although I don't want to give her any other ideas!

 

[JESW]

Very, very normal. Both my kids (4 & 8) have been through it. They will both still talk about it almost to the point of obsession sometimes. If it concerns you you may mention it to your pediatrician.

Jill

 

[Saffron]

I took a couple psychology courses, one about child pyschology and one about human growth and development. Both courses suggested that between the ages of 5 and 8, children begin to wonder and think about death, as they move from more concrete thought processes to abstract thinking. As they move outside of their own little world and begin to hear about others and their experiences, they begin to try to sort out what death means, what forever means, what the future means, what permanence means etc. Those thoughts are actually very complex thought processes. It's easy for her to figure out what a ducks is. There is concrete evidence as to what a duck is; they have feathers, bills, webbed feet, they quack, she can see one and pet one etc. Other more abstract "things" are not so easy to figure out at that age. I think what your daugher is doing is just that. Wondering about and trying to figure out what it all means. I wouldn't worry too much unless it becomes non-stop or involves a lot of violent type of things that seems like it's never going to end or change.

Now, that is my armchair analysis which means absolutley nothing. If it continues to concern you, you can always talk to a counselor at your child's school.

Awww Robin. I understand why Michael feels the way he does. {{{{Hugs}}}} to him from me.

 

[mum4jenn]

My dd is 5 1/2 and she is going through the same thing. Sometimes out of the blue she talks about it and gets scared when dh had to go to the hosp the other day for a test. Also a neighboring county had a tornado a month ago and she has bad dreams about it still. I also was beginning to think something was wrong but now I know it is normal for this age.