Do 4 y.o.'s understand death?

Recently, we all got caught up in the tragedy of Steve Irwin's stingray accident and the fate of his now fatherless children.

One day, I was discussing this topic of death with Beth. It started because she asked how old I would be if she were 50. I said "82, and I may not be around then."

She got really upset. "I don't want you and Daddy to die. Then who will look after mei mei and me?" she asked, eyes welling up.

This afternoon, she and Daddy were discussing milk teeth when suddenly she turned to him and said,"Daddy, I don't want you to die. Then mei mei and I have no keys to go home."

Daddy was a bit stunned. "Er, Mummy will have the keys."

"But if Mummy isn't around?"

"Then you will have the keys," replied Daddy. And they had a good hug.

Thankfully, she forgot the subject quite quickly and she was soon asking to be tickled and lying happily in Daddy's lap while he tried to read the papers.

I shudder to think of the day when one of us has to leave. Can we ever bear to leave the children, no matter how old they are?