eTable 2. Conceptions of death in children and adolescents of different ages and developmental stages, based on [e8, e21].

	Conceptions of death and dying	Typical reactions to loss	Appropriate support of grieving person
Children under age 3	– children under age 3 cannot grasp dying or death – the finality of death is not understood – death is equated with temporary absence	– change in sleeping or eating habits – rage, frustration – waiting and seeking (e.g., the child looks under the deceased mother’s blanket every morning to see whether she has come back)	– Children sense the grief of the people around them. They need closeness and physical attention. – Rituals should be maintained as much as possible (bedtime stories, fixed mealtimes).
Ages 3 to 6	– conceptions of death are vague– death is temporary, conceived of as darkness and motionlessness – death always happens to somebody else – there is little fear of death, as its permanence is not appreciated and it happens to others anyway	– seeking to understand death–state of confusion after a loss – regression after a loss (e.g., renewed bedwetting)	– as in children under age 3 – Cognitive processing becomes increasingly important. The child’s interested questions should be answered in clear, age-appropriate language.
Ages 6 to 9	– gradual understanding of the finality of death – death is personified – death is perceived as a punishment (childish interpretation of Christian teaching) – may be considered in relation to one’s own person	– fears of loss and separation – reality and imagination are mixed – guilt feelings: did Mommy get cancer because I wasn’t nice to her?	– inclusion in farewell and grieving rituals (e.g., with a letter or self-made drawing) – clear explanation of the circumstances of death – take the child’s magical thinking into account (e.g., imagining anger at the mother to be the cause of her death) and absolve the child of guilt feelings proactively
Age 10 and above	– death is perceived as final, as a conclusion	– somatization tendency (e.g., headache, abdominal pain) – preoccupation with the meaning of one’s own life – thinking about the matter of life after death – the loss collides with the detachment process	– offer discussion repeatedly, but do not compel discussion – support contact with peer group – help the grieving child continue with activities that might seem “improper” (birthday parties, going to the movies, etc.)