A nurse is providing grief counseling for the parents of a school-age child whose sibling recently died. Which of the following statements should the nurse make?

A. "Try to suppress your grief when your child is present.": Encouraging parents to hide their emotions can prevent healthy grieving and modeling of coping behaviors for children. Open expression of grief, when appropriate, helps children understand and process their own emotions. B. "Avoid discussing the funeral when your child is around.": Avoiding discussion of the funeral can leave children confused and anxious. Including children in age-appropriate conversations about death and funeral rituals helps them feel involved and supported during the grieving process. C. "Tell me how children in your family participate in funeral services.": Asking about children’s participation in funeral services allows the nurse to assess their understanding and involvement in rituals. It promotes family-centered grieving and provides an opportunity to support healthy coping strategies, making it the most appropriate counseling approach. D. "School-age children tend to view death as a temporary form of sleep.": While younger children (typically preschoolers) may see death as temporary or reversible, school-age children usually begin to understand that death is permanent. Using this statement could misinform parents about their child’s developmental comprehension of death.