How to talk about death, anxiety and other tough subjects with kids

Parents may be coping with a stillbirth but how do they explain this to a 6-year-old who wants to know where their new sibling is?


You left the house to go to the hospital to give birth to a new baby that your toddler is expecting to start playing with. Unfortunately, the baby did not make it and you can’t bring him home.

How do you explain this to a 6-year-old child who just wants to understand where his new brother is?

The reality is that some subjects are very difficult to explain to children. As difficult as they might be, they are necessary.

One other reality is that children love books, especially ones that encourage their imagination.

Brave Books has recognized these realities and created a company centered around making the world make sense for little humans in a fun and creative way.

It is a children’s book company that has written a series of books that, not only address difficult subjects but also encourages children to be brave. They have written books about first-day jitters, anxiety, wearing glasses, nightmares, and many more topics.

They have also written stories explaining to kids why their friends have two mommies or two daddies and helping them when a parent exits their life.

The founder of Brave Books is Debra Myburgh, a psychologist with over 20 years of experience in counseling families and children.

Brave Books tackles subjects such as:

-Family changes
-Loss and absence
-Self-esteem and identity
-Health and safety

The central character in these books is Brave Bear, and the company hopes that kids can embody this character and aspire to be as brave as the bear and his friends.

According to Brave Bear, “these books can be used throughout your child’s life from early toddler years of learning to use the potty and giving up their dummy to encouraging bravery in older children when going to school, fighting with friends, understanding illnesses, experiencing bullying or trauma and much more”.

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