On Children and Death: How Children and Their Parents Can and Do Cope With Death [Paperback]

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 1997

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Los Angeles Times Anyone who has experienced the loss of a child would do well to read On Children and Death... Uplifting and inspirational.

The Washington Post An excellent resource.

About the Author

Elisabeth KÜbler-Ross, M.D. (July 8, 1926 – August 24, 2004) was a Swiss-born psychiatrist, humanitarian and co-founder of the hospice movement around the world.  She was also the author of the groundbreaking book On Death and Dying (1969), which first discussed The Five Stages of Grief. Elisabeth authored 24 books in 36 languages and brought comfort to millions of people coping with their own deaths or the death of a loved one. Elisabeth's passions included working with terminally ill children, AIDS patients, and the elderly, amongst others. Her greatest professional legacy includes teaching the practice of humane care for the dying and the importance of sharing unconditional love.  

 

Elisabeth is a 2007 inductee into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and Time Magazine named her one of the 100 greatest thinkers of the 20th century. Her work continues by the efforts of hundreds of organizations around the world including, The Elisabeth KÜbler-Ross Foundation: www.EKRFoundation.org

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Scribner (June 9, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684839393
• ISBN-13: 978-0684839394
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross earned a place as the best-loved and most-respected authority on the subjects of death and dying. Through her many books, as well as her years working with terminally ill children, AIDS patients, and the elderly, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross brought comfort and understanding to millions coping with their own deaths or the death of a loved one. Dr. Kubler-Ross, whose books have been translated into twenty-seven languages, passed away in 2004 at the age of seventy-eight. Before her death, she and David Kessler completed work on their second collaboration, On Grief and Grieving.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stellar work in the area of child psychology and death, a gift for bereft parents., August 22, 2005

By 

Christian Engler (Woburn, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On Children and Death: How Children and Their Parents Can and Do Cope With Death (Paperback)

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!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars insightful, July 14, 2009

By 

klyn (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Children and Death: How Children and Their Parents Can and Do Cope With Death (Paperback)

I was leery about reading a book dealing with children and death. This book was sensitive to the issue and the personal stories contained inside were tear jerkers. I found the book to be extremely appropriate to the issue of children and dying. I would recommend this book to anyone who may have to go through this issue.

4 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars On Children & Death book review, January 3, 2007

By 

C. Smith "elementary educator" (Huntington Station, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: On Children and Death: How Children and Their Parents Can and Do Cope With Death (Paperback)

I found that this book wasn't as helpful as I needed. I was taking a psychology course dealing with how to incorporate death education into an elementary school setting and this basically just gave stories about people/children dealing with death and ways to incorporate all family members. A much better book is Helping Childrne Live with Death and Loss by Dinah Seibert. It gives a way to create lesson plans/field trips/discussions about death with children while also including the stages of grief.