When I was five years old a much-older brother who I was very close to died. I understood what death meant in the sense that his physical body was no longer functional and that I would not be seeing him again in a physical sense, on the Earth. The trajectory of grief is different in children as the sense of the passing of time is different when you're a kid. I experienced the initial pain and sadness but that faded quickly, although I was left with separation anxiety until age 10, especially at night when I just didn't want to be alone and the over-concern for the welfare of others which I think I still have. The grief has come back as an adult in full intensity on a few occasions based on certain triggering events, some obvious and some I had to think about. This is something people who experience significant loss as children need to be prepared for. Adults should not isolate children from the grieving process in an attempt to 'protect' them. Include them and allow them to participate in the family's grieving process, reassure them, hug them, and be willing to talk about the deceased person with your child. Let them know the feelings are nothing to be afraid of and that everything will be okay.