On Children and Death: A Touching and Inspired about How Children and Their Parents Can and Do.. by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross


On Children and Death: A Touching and Inspired about How Children and Their Parents Can and Do..
Title : On Children and Death: A Touching and Inspired about How Children and Their Parents Can and Do..
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 002089144X
ISBN-10 : 9780020891444
Language : English
Format Type : Paperback
Number of Pages : 279
Publication : First published October 1, 1983

On Children and Death is a major addition to the classic works of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, whose On Death and Dying and Living with Death and Dying have been continuing sources of strength and solace for tens of millions of devoted readers worldwide. Based on a decade of working with dying children, this compassionate book offers the families of dead and dying children the help — and hope — they need to survive. In warm, simple language, Dr. Kübler-Ross speaks directly to the fears, doubts, anger, confusion, and anguish of parents confronting the terminal illness or sudden death of a child.


On Children and Death: A Touching and Inspired about How Children and Their Parents Can and Do.. Reviews


  • Christian Engler

    The death of a child is a horrific and heartrending moment in a parent's life, a time where no words can be used, because it is totally inexpressible. Yet, somehow, Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross does find the words, and she does so by doggedly and mercifully examining children and death. By her own direct involvement as a thanatologist as well as through a series of letters by bereaved parents who have lost children by way of terminal illness, sudden death, murder or suicide, they open their hearts, and in the process of doing so, they reveal psychological and religious elements of their children, premonitions and preparatory acts before acknowledged death to an acute maturity and understanding of themselves and their situations. A role inversion-depending on the age level-frequently happenes, whereby the little patient becomes the comforter for their family who must temporally remain behind in the "cocoon," a most comforting euphemism indeed. Read the story of "Edou" in the segment, The Spiritual Aspects of Work with Dying Children for specific clarity. But what Kubler-Ross stresses is communication, getting the feelings out, not immediately mollifying the topsy-turvey senses with instant self-medication, for more-often-than-not, that can only compound the psychological stresses that can easily fracture with devistating repercussions, as is illustrsted with the examples at the beginning of the book. Also addressed in conjunction with communication and open dialogue is family involvement with the dying process, letting the siblings be exposed to their older or younger brother/sister's dying, unless they make it concretely evident that they are not emotionally ready for that step, which is perfectly fine and understandable. It is about pacing, self-acceptance and sympathetic exposure to what is for most of us a mind-numbing experience. But it does not have to be that way. And Kubler-Ross cites numerous examples throughout On Children and Death, instancing how the funeral industry is evolving for the better as well as humanistic/ holistic expressions via arts, crafts and musical aid in smoothing the rough edges of suffering and self-created mental torment. Yes, grief and unbelieveable pain will exist, but it does not have to dominate, for God is certainly in the equation, for He knows all, sees all and feels all, and Kubler-Ross, wonderfully, blatantly, lets that be known, for as a friend contributed to this volume: "To me, religions are like the spokes on a wheel; they all lead to the hub--at-oneness with God (P. 204). How true! How true!

  • Fabiola Castillo Autora

    este libro me ayudo en mis ensayos acerca del duelo en la universidad, aporta información técnica pero también es entrañable

  • Eddy Boswell-Correa

    To talk about the profundity of this book would be a waste of words as it is explicit in the subject matter so Instead I will talk about how this book succeeds and stumbles in tackling the subject matter:

    Pros: this book is mostly a collection of letters from families who have had their children die or other anecdotal stories about children passing away which gives this book a wide range of voices and styles.

    Book ending each chapter are a couple of paragraphs written by Dr. Kubler herself and they are usually quite insightful about how certain attitudes are helpful or the proper ways to console a grieving parent.

    Cons: Because this book is a collection of anecdotal stories the quality of writing and importance of the things being said vary wildly from story to story and at a certain point the lessons start to repeat themselves and fall into tautology. Additionally all of the stories shared are from people of the Christian faith and therefore do not provide a truly world view on death and because Dr. Kubler herself is very fervent in her faith, she does not separate the psychological aspects of what the families are going through from the language of faith that they wrap it in.

    There is one really sour note in this book which is the content of the last chapter, Spiritual Aspects. Dr. Kubler takes some time to defend her spirituality and research into near death experiences (a field that has been disproven quite vociferously in recent years) which comes across as self-conscious especially as she uses the classic comparison with the Dr. who discovered germ theory and was discredited and ruined in his day, dying penniless but was later vindicated and celebrated post-humerously. The problem is that this comparison is used by every single person who has a theory that is not taken up by the larger scientific community including eugenics, and by itself it proves nothing as every crackpot who believes they have proof of aliens could make the same claim.

    in short the book is has some very good general advice but is too narrow spiritually and lacking scientifically to be a must own for those interested in thanatology

  • Jonathan Diaz

    Es un gran libro para profesionales de la salud y persona fuera del medio, que se llegan a enfrentar a los últimos días o a enfermedades terminales presentes en niños, y que si eres personal de la salud debes de leer este libro con una mente abierta ya que te introduce a la esfera espiritual de los niños y padres, y lo digo porque muchas veces no se da el enfoque necesario en esta esfera y pensamos solo en ciencia y solo lo que nos da está, pero hay mucho más allá de la ciencia, cosas que no se pueden explicar pero suceden y que debemos respetar y de ser posible ayudar a este proceso para satisfacer está esfera de los afectados.

  • Jair Solcan

    Hard to read if you are a very sensitive person; nevertheless, good to grow your own consciousness about death and how it belong to us, therefore, how to live the transformation, because it’s not an end, but a new beginning. I also think it can be good for people without faith, and also to strengthen the faith of allready strong believers.

  • Eva Yap-Todos

    My pastor’s wife at a church in Vancouver BC lent me this book in 2006 when she realized that I was missing my former foster daughter in Romania (suffering of a genetic condition called Fraser Syndrome). Already emotionally weak (from missing Florina, age 7 at that time) the title of this book made me numb. I could not even touch it for at least half a year, when I finally thought it was time to return it. So after opening the book the poem in the introduction captured my attention (‘we come through our parents but we come from God...’) and it gave me a different perspective on life, ie. ultimately we each belong to God. And every chapter with each story of either sudden death or chronic illnesses that ended in death brought encouragement by seeing God’s work in those children’s lives.

  • Jose Luis

    El libro explica de un modo coherente, sencillo y práctico todo lo que sucede alrededor antes, durante y después de la muerte de un hijo.

    El hecho de que el niño moribundo acepta de mejor forma su muerte que los adultos y que éstos se sumergen en la depresión es entendible y fue la base para que la autora creara este libro.

    Explica detalladamente los procesos por los que se pasan cuando se tiene un hijo moribundo y fallece, ya sea de forma repentina o esperada. Así como el duelo y las aceptaciones por parte de la familia.

    Buen libro para leer tanto para aquellos que pasaron por esta desagradable experiencia y saber como afrontarlo asi como para los que tenemos hijos y actuar de una mejor manera y saludable si esta experiencia nos llegara a pasar alguna vez.

    Hay algunas partes que no me gustaron que se me hizo cansado al leer el libro y uno que otro aspecto repetitivo pero en general recomiendo el libro.

  • Dubiangel

    En pocas palabras es un libro hermoso, donde el significado de la muerte cambia radicalmente, donde se puede creer que cada ser humano tiene un proposito en este mundo y cuando se van es porque lo han cumplido aunque sea dificil de entender... simplemente me encanto, en este libro se cuentan historias verdaderas de familias que perdieron inesperada o esperadamente a sus niñios y salieron adelante como mejores seres humanos.

  • María Paz Greene F

    Este libro es desgarrador pero absolutamente hermoso y bien escrito. Por suerte, no he experimentado aún una pérdida como las que tratan en estos textos, pero... las enseñanzas son buenas y positivas y útiles de todos modos. He releído este texto varias veces. Tiene un lenguaje sencillo y es muy inspirador. Y muy interesante.

  • Alvaro

    A great Book for anyone in the hard times to face a son or a daughter's death.

  • Corinna

    I think everyone should read this book, even if they do not have children or any personal experience with death.