THINGS TO REMEMBER..

Talk to children using words they understand; give information to younger children a bit at a time;

try to encourage children to ask questions;

answer questions honestly and simply; talking about it won’t make it worse;

accept that some things can’t be “made better”;

show willingness to talk about difficult things and use this as an opportunity to reassure them;

if children are asking questions, it is a good thing – it shows they trust you and it is better than keeping worries to themselves;

remember that “super-parents” or “super-teachers” don’t exist. Just do and say what you can;

don’t be afraid to show children how you are feeling

For more advice on how to explain this or any other difficult topic to children, you can visit the Winston’s Wish website