Their Walk Home · Included with every film

The Parent's Viewing Guide

Read this before you press play. Ten minutes, and the film will do its work better.

Before: setting the stage

Choose a calm moment — not bedtime if you can avoid it (big feelings want room), not right before school. Sit somewhere comfortable, side by side. Tell your child what they're about to see, in one sentence, using real words:

"We're going to watch a little movie about Grandpa. It shows him walking home to heaven. It's okay to feel sad — I'll be right next to you."

Say "went to sleep," "we lost him," or "passed away." Children take words literally — "sleep" can make a child afraid of bedtime, and "lost" can make them wait for him to be found. "Died" is the honest word, and children handle it better than adults expect.

If your family doesn't use the word heaven, that's fine — the film you chose matches your beliefs, and the script below works with any of the four scenes.

During: what to do

Stay beside them. Your presence is the intervention — the film is just the picture.
It's fine to pause. If they want to stop, stop. The film is yours; there is no "finish it in one sitting" rule.
Answer questions simply, honestly, briefly. If they ask "Is that really him?" — "It's a drawing of him, made with love. The real Grandpa isn't in the picture; this is a way of imagining him somewhere peaceful."
Don't narrate the whole time. Silence together is not failure. Let the film breathe.

After: the ritual is the point

The film ends by inviting your child to do something: light a candle, draw a picture, say the thing they never got to say. Do it that day if you can — the same evening is best. This is not decoration; it's the part that helps. Giving a child an action transforms helplessness into participation.

"Would you like to draw Grandma a picture tonight? We can put it by the candle."

By age

Ages 4–6

Expect magical thinking ("Is he cold up there?" "Can she see me in the bath?"). Answer literally and warmly; don't correct the fantasy, just don't feed false physics. Expect the question to be asked again tomorrow — and again next week. The ninth time is processing, not malfunction. Same answer, same warmth, every time.

"Yes, the picture shows him in the light. The real him is safe. And he loved you very much."

Ages 7–9

Fact-collectors. They may ask how the person died, in plain terms, and they deserve a plain answer: "His heart stopped working, and the doctors couldn't fix it." Expect questions about fairness ("Why him?") and worry ("Will you die too?"). Don't promise impossibilities — offer reassurance with truth:

"Everybody dies someday, but most people live a long, long time. My job is to be here with you, and I take good care of myself."

Ages 10–12

Grief starts looking like irritability, privacy, or jokes. The film still works — but let them lead. Offer, don't require: "Want to watch it together, or would you rather watch it alone and talk after?" Either is fine. What matters is that they know the door is open. Watch for grief wearing a costume: grades sliding, friendships dropping, sleep going strange.

The weeks after

The re-watch is healthy. Children return to the same comfort repeatedly. If they ask for the film again next month, play it again — it's theirs.
Keep the ritual going. The candle can become a weekly goodnight. Birthdays and anniversaries are natural days to re-run the ritual.
Grief comes in bursts for years. A hard day in fourth grade can bring it all back. That's normal, not a setback.

When to reach for more help

Some grief needs more than family love — and noticing that early is strength, not failure. Consider professional support if, after several weeks, your child: can't sleep or has nightmares most nights; withdraws from friends and school; talks about wanting to die or "going to be with" the person; or keeps re-asking with panic rather than curiosity. Start with your pediatrician, or find a children's grief center through the Dougy Center or the National Alliance for Children's Grief.

Words that help · words that hurt

Help: "Died." "This is so sad, and we're sad together." "You can ask me anything, anytime." "I loved him too." "Nothing you did caused this."

Hurt: "Went to sleep." "We lost her." "Be brave — don't cry." "God needed another angel" (unless that's your family's belief and you can explain it calmly). "You're the man of the house now." "At least you have your brother."

This guide offers general support, not medical or psychological advice. You know your child best.