The past few years have been pretty hard for my family. We’ve lost several key family members, including my brother, father, step-father and grandfather, and my wife’s brother, mother and several grandparents. These deaths have stretched out over a period of a few years, but many of them occurred very close to one another.

There have also been several high profile deaths recently, as well. The most recent has been the apparent suicide of actor Robin Williams.

With all of these deaths, it’s hardly a surprise that my kids, and others, are asking questions about death.

Dads, we have a critical responsibility to prepare our kids for life. And a part of that means that we have to prepare our kids for the reality of death.

There are a few key elements of this to keep in mind.

Be biblical – The Bible tells us a lot about what happens when people die, and about heaven and hell. Make sure you share the truth as closely as possible when you share with your kids.

Be sensitive – Often, kids and adults alike will bottle up their emotions and refuse to talk about what they are feeling. Be sensitive to that, and know that you have had a lot longer to come to an understanding of the reality of death.

Listen – Allow your kids to talk it out. Listen to them. You don’t necessarily have to have all the answers.

Allow them to cry – Tears are okay. They are a natural part of the grief process.

Hold your kids – Maybe the best thing you can do is simply give your kids a hug or pull them onto your lap for a while. This communicates care more than almost anything else.

Create memories – With the death of a family or friend, one thing that you can do is help your child create something like a memory book, or a photo collage. This can help your kids remember the good times and help them process through this.

Write it down – Encourage your older kids to journal about their feelings. Or, if they are more artistic, maybe they can paint or draw something, or create a poem, or something similar.

Seek help – If it feels like your kids are having too difficult a time processing the death of a loved one, don’t be afraid to seek the help of a professional counselor or minister. Just because you are the parent doesn’t mean that you have to do everything on your own. Help is close, if needed.

Above all, be present – At such times, your kids need to know that you are there and that you care about them. Show them you love them, especially at times like this.

Sometimes being a dad is a difficult job. Sometimes, we feel inadequate to the job. But our kids need us to guide them through life, teaching them how to handle situations like this. Do the best that you can, and show your kids you love them.

Be deliberate, Dad!

How do you help your kids through a crisis such as the death of a loved one? You can leave your thoughts in the comments by clicking here.