What helps

Use language that acknowledges rather than solves

  • Acknowledge the death directly and use the person’s name when appropriate.
  • Use simple language the child or young person actually understands.
  • Let them ask questions more than once and say when you do not know an answer.
  • Offer ordinary support as well as grief conversation: a walk, game, lift, meal, or check-in.
  • Remember birthdays, anniversaries, school events, and other dates if you are close enough to do so.
  • Coordinate with the parent or main caregiver when you are not the child’s guardian.
Use caution

What is usually better left unsaid

  • Telling them to be strong for a parent, sibling, or other adult.
  • Saying the person has “gone to sleep” when the child may take the phrase literally.
  • Assuming they want a long emotional conversation every time you see them.
  • Promising that everything will be okay or that grief will disappear on a timetable.
  • Giving new details about the death that the family has not chosen to share.
Starting points

Example wording

I’m really sorry that [Name] died. I know they were very important to you.

You never have to pretend you are okay with me. We can talk, sit quietly, or do something normal together.

I don’t know exactly how this feels for you, but I’m here to listen if you want to tell me.

I was thinking about [Name] today and remembered [simple memory]. I wanted you to know I remember them too.

You can ask me questions. If I do not know the answer, I will tell you honestly instead of guessing.

Beyond the sentence

Support is often practical and repeated

A message can open the door, but care often matters most after the first days: a meal, transport, a small task, remembering an anniversary, or a check-in that does not require a response.

Instead of:

“Let me know if you need anything.”

Try:

“I can bring dinner Thursday or pick up groceries Saturday. No pressure to answer now.”

Conversation skills

Listen for what the person is actually asking for

  • Let silence exist instead of filling every pause with advice.
  • Use open invitations such as “Would you like to tell me about them?” rather than interrogating for details.
  • If the person changes the subject, follow them. Ordinary conversation can also be a form of companionship.
  • If they repeat a story, resist correcting or rushing them; repetition can be part of processing what happened.
  • Keep private details private unless the person explicitly says they can be shared.
  • Do not turn the conversation into a comparison with your own bereavement unless they ask about it.
A conversation over time

What support can look like after the first sentence

First contact

Acknowledge what happened and make it easy not to reply.

Next few days

Offer one concrete task instead of asking the grieving person to organize your help.

After the service

Check in when public attention may have reduced and ordinary responsibilities have returned.

Meaningful dates

Remember anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, or other dates if that fits your relationship.

There is no universal grief timetable. Let the person’s response guide how often and in what way you stay in touch.

Practical answers

Questions about talking with someone who is grieving

What if I genuinely do not know what to say?

You can say that plainly: “I don’t know what to say, but I’m so sorry and I’m here.” Honesty is better than forcing a grand explanation.

Should I ask how they are?

You can, but a narrower question such as “How are you doing today?” may be easier to answer. Accept that they may not want to talk.

Should I bring up the person who died?

Often it is welcome when done gently. Use the person’s name and share a real memory if you have one; then follow the bereaved person’s lead.

How can I help without making them ask?

Offer a specific task you can realistically do, such as bringing a meal, collecting groceries, driving somewhere, or handling a defined piece of work.

Evidence & editorial method

Editorial references

These organizations inform the general support principles on this page. The message examples and templates on this site are independently written; external guidance is summarized, not reproduced.

A source can support a general principle without determining what is right for every family, culture, faith, relationship, or circumstance.