Dear Dream Weaver Auntie,
It is very common for 4-year-olds to have
thoughts, dreams, and questions about death. It is a developmental stage
and it usually passes quite quickly. Most nursery programs plan for
this occurrence by having a short-lived pet in the classroom, such as a
goldfish.
If it comes up again, a good answer for your niece is
that most people die when they are very, very old and her parents are
still young. If she pursues it you can tell her she will probably be all
grown up with a job, a family of her own, and parents that come to
visit in her house when her parents are very, very old. You can reassure
her that dreams are not real and give an example such as dreaming of
flying or eating all the candy in the candy store.
When an adult
dreams of someone dying it is usually a representation of their anger
or anxiety about being abandoned. If you suspect this is the case you
could talk to her folks and see if they are stifling her expressions of
fear and anger and encourage them to give them support.
Unfortunately,
in these times children can be inadvertently exposed to violence and
death through the media and are unable to process and integrate these
images and actions in their emotional systems.
The very good news is that she has a caring confidante in her Savvy Auntie!
Best of Luck,
Natalie Robinson Garfield
TheSenseConnection.wordpress.com
Originally published: July 19, 2011
Republished: February 14, 2018
Photo: bubutu
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