My daughter recently had to cope with the death of a peer. Her classmate died after a long battle with a serious illness. My daughter now becomes anxious every night at bedtime. How can I help her? – Kira The death of a friend or family member is difficult for anyone. How kids respond depends greatly on their age, experiences, and personality. And when a peer dies, kids may be afraid that something similar could happen to them. Your child may be feeling depressed, angry, confused, anxious, or any number of emotions. Be honest with her and encourage questions. This can be hard because you may not have all the answers. But it's important to create an atmosphere of comfort and openness, and to convey that there's no single "right" way to feel or grieve. Your daughter might find it helpful to hear you express your feelings on her friend's death. Give her the opportunity to express her feelings and recognize that her anxiety and sadness are perfectly normal. You might also share any spiritual beliefs you have about death with her. If her reaction continues beyond a few weeks or negatively affects other aspects of her life, consider seeking help from a mental health professional. Back to Articles Related Articles 5 Ways to Cope When a Loved One Dies We all face grief at some point. Here are 5 ideas that might help you cope when someone you love has died. Read More Kids Talk About Death Kids talk about what it feels like to lose a loved one, and how they handle their grief and help others. Read More Kids Talk About: Death (Video) It's a deep sadness when someone you love dies. Hear what real kids had to say. Read More Helping Your Child Deal With Death Helping kids cope with the death of a loved one can be hard, particularly as you work through your own grief. Here are some tips. Read More Somebody in My Friend's Family Died. What Should I Do? Someone important to your friend has died. What do you do? Read More Death and Grief If someone close to you has died, you probably feel overwhelmed with grief. Read about some things that might help you cope. Read More Childhood Stress Being a kid doesn't always mean being carefree - even the youngest tots worry. Find out what stresses kids out and how to help them cope. Read More When Somebody Dies It's difficult, even for grownups, to understand why death must happen. It may be the hardest thing of all to understand. We'll try to help you understand a little bit more in this article for kids. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.