Reply to Around what age should children be told about the suicide of a grandparent?

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[quote=Anonymous]My brother committed suicide and I waited until my son was about 12 to discuss it with him.  It happened even before my son was born, but he knew I had another brother and wanted to know how he died.  I told my son that his uncle died in an accident.  When pressed for details, I just told him I'd tell him more when he was older.

A lot of kids go through a phase where they are kind of obsessed or intrigued by death.  I can't recall the age that this occurs, but I want to guess around 6-8 years.  It didn't seem smart to discuss during that period.  By the time my son was 12, he could understand the ramification of suicide and it's impact on the family.

I haven't discussed with my son the fact that depression can run in families or the fact that he is at slightly higher risk of suicidal thoughts than the average person.  That is a discussion we will have a little later.

I don't have any evidence that one time is better than another, but I would say that I think it will become apparent when you child is old enough to hear the truth.  Good luck.  It's not easy.[/quote]

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