The Patrick Madrid Show How Do I Talk to Children About the Reality of Death? (Special Podcast Highlight)
It All Started at a Tea Party...
Rosalie from Chula Vista calls in after attending a “Deanery Tea Party” (which, btw, sounds like something Jane Austen would've loved) where a little girl asked a whopper of a question:
“Is everyone going to die?”
Rosalie’s friend was troubled that the adult nearby didn’t offer any spiritual explanation... just the cold, hard facts. So, Rosalie did what any good Catholic would do: she called Patrick Madrid.
How Do You Tell a Child About Death Without Freaking Them Out?
Patrick, being the dad of 11 kids and a wise Catholic thinker, totally gets it. We live in a culture that avoids death like kale at a kid’s birthday party. We want youth, health, and Instagram filters, not funeral talk.
But here’s the truth from Patrick:
🕊️ “It’s actually good for children to understand death... in a gentle, age-appropriate way, because it opens the door to talking about hope, eternity, and Jesus.”
So, Here’s the Game Plan, Catholic Parents & Godparents:
Age-Appropriate Honesty
Don’t lie or pretend death isn’t real. Patrick suggests saying something like:
“Yes, everyone dies eventually. But we don’t need to be afraid, because Jesus came to save us and bring us to Heaven.”
Frame Death Through the Lens of Salvation
Patrick reminds us: God didn’t want death. Death entered the world through sin. But Jesus became one of us, died for us, and rose again so we could have eternal life. That’s the real focus, not death itself.
Describe Death as a Portal
Don't mention it as a scary monster but explain it as a doorway to being with God. That shifts the narrative entirely.
“We hope Grandma is in Heaven now because she loved Jesus. And if we love Jesus too, He’ll bring us there one day.” Great advice from Patrick!
Takeaway for You, Friend:
If a child ever asks, “Is everyone going to die?”, don’t panic. Don’t brush it off. And definitely don’t just say, “Yep” and walk away.
Instead, use it as a sacred opportunity: to speak truth wrapped in love, hope, and the greatest promise ever:
“Jesus loves you, and He wants to be with you forever.”
That’s beautiful.
Need to Hear It Again? Share this with a fellow Catholic parent, godparent, or that friend who just survived a toddler asking the "Big Questions" at bedtime.
Jesus isn’t afraid of death. And thanks to Him... we don’t have to be either.