There are certain subjects we talk about as little as possible; we avoid them to prevent uncomfortable or embarrassing situations. Death is one of them and the death of a loved one is even harder to deal with because it has become a taboo subject… It is even harder to speak about death with children that we fear we might hurt, but there always comes a time when we must break the ice.
In fact, children ask questions, naturally wonder about what surrounds them and notice the changes in their environment. They are capable of understanding and overcoming the changes and their grief as long as we allow and encourage them to reflect on events and express their feelings.
Nino’s Mourning Toolbox is a friendly tablet application hosting a story & activities that will help parents & children overcome grief together.
In the story, Ninos sister dies and we see how thanks to discussions with his family and activities they play together, he is able to overcome his great sorrow.
The activities of the app, raise more questions related to death: what happens afterlife? what is alive? Saying goodbye, and other activities that either encourage discussion (“The discussion cake”: uses cooking as an opportunity for discussion), give instructions to make a memory box, sing together, draw, think, listen, express…
The app also contains a little guide for the parents, with a few tips and ideas that can help you understand your children’s reactions and be prepared to deal with them.