{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast","title":"Explaining death and heaven to children","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":268,"description":"Kid asked if his grandma watches him from heaven. Then goes \"does she watch me pee though?\"Six year old's man.You're middle something else and hand goes up.Doing Noah's ark last month. Sarah raises hand. \"Is Noah dead?\"Yeah died long time ago.\"Where's his body?\"Don't know Sarah.\"Can we visit it?\"We're building ark out graham crackers right now can we table this.Kids don't care about lesson plan. Think of something ask immediately.Had kid ask during snack. Just eating goldfish goes \"what happens when you die?\" Other kids stopped chewing. Stared waiting.Great timing.Said \"went to sleep\" once and kid refused go bed for week. His mom called mad. Honestly fair. That was stupid of me.Sleep happens every night. Don't make kids think sleeping equals dying. Terrible idea.\"Lost someone\" sounds like you're bad at keeping track people. Like left them at grocery store.Kids seen dead bugs. Dead birds. Start there.\"That butterfly we found wasn't moving? Died. Body stopped working. Same thing happens people.\"Emma asked why can't fix people like when dad fixes car. Told her bodies different than cars. She said okay went back to coloring.That was it. Moved on.What's heaven look like. Is there pizza. Do you sleep there or awake all time. Can you fly.No idea.Just tell them don't know. \"That's good question. Not sure. Here's what I think though.\"Jacob asked if dogs go heaven. Said hope so. He said okay. Done.Didn't need whole explanation about animal souls or whatever. Just hope dogs there. Good enough.Heaven where God is. People who love God go there. It's good and happy. Nothing hurts there.That's what tell little kids.Then ask if there's Legos in heaven. Or if have do chores. Or if babies stay babies forever.Usually just say heaven has good stuff so probably.Real death different than talking about it theoretical.Their grandma dies. Their dog. Someone real.Let them feel sad.\"That's really sad. I'm sad too. Okay to cry.\"Adults try acting positive so kids think they should too. But...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/xu8CrUD0jOYW3q-sNtnfx2IPiu3EBLp3zZLXQnYwa-8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80M2I1/Y2MzODE4MmIwYmRi/NTNkZmEyZmFiYTQ4/M2JjYi5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}