If your child asked you "what is death?" What would you say?

[Mordreich]

Death is what happens to children who ask me stupid questions like: "what is death".

 

[Kraiiit]

Death is when you leave this world for a better place. It's not the end- merely a temporary parting.

(I do believe in this. And hopefully, it would help the kid to better deal with deaths in the family and such.)

 

[Arachon]

It's a thin guy who talks like THIS and likes cats and curry.

 

[Kortney]

"Well, it's a lot like before you were born..."

 

[dragonslayer32]

erm... When you go to heaven? I am really not good with explaining stuff to kids.

 

[ElectroJosh]

I'd be all like "This is *****!" and then shoot him in the face.

Actually I wouldn't do that. I'd go get the pet dog I had purchased for just this occasion and shoot her in the face (obviously in front of the child) and I would vary what I say to: "This is" (then I aim the gun at the dog) "*****!!".


Probably I would just say something about no longer living, or like sleeping but never waking up (it would really depend on the age of the kid in question).

 

[seanmcdow]

death....is only the beginning

 

[Soviet Steve]

I would say that it is difficult to explain as one does not return from it, but that the analogy of a permanent state of rest is the best possible one, with the added bit that you only dream for a couple of minutes before expiration.

Additional information to take into account would be that one does not feel anything while dead, and thus does not sense the passage of time.

Of course with simpler words and added reassurances that death is unlikely to come to him/her until they are ready for it, which wont be for about a century