How do preschool-aged children typically understand death? (Select All that Apply.)

A. They may believe that death is punishment for bad behavior. Preschool-aged children may have a limited understanding of death and may see it as a form of punishment for wrongdoing. They may not fully comprehend that death is a natural event. B. They may believe that death is temporary or reversible. At this age, children tend to have magical thinking and may believe that the deceased person can come back to life or that they will return after a period of time. E. They may believe that death is caused by their thoughts. Preschoolers often struggle with the concept of causality and may believe that their thoughts or wishes could cause something to happen, including death. C. They may have a fear of death and view it as something to be avoided. While some preschoolers may fear death, this is more common in older children or adolescents who begin to grasp the permanency of death. D. They understand death as a natural part of the life cycle. Preschool children typically do not have a fully developed understanding of death as part of the life cycle; they may not recognize its natural inevitability. F. They have a concrete understanding of death as a permanent cessation of life. A concrete understanding of death is usually not achieved until later childhood (around 7-9 years of age) when children start to understand the permanence and finality of death.