[mikester]

You're on the edge of awareness there at 7 I think. Depending on the kid he may or may not be really aware of the world around him. I have a 7 year old as well and I just don't think he's really that aware of the larger world. Now being that he did know this other child - that puts it much closer. If something like this happened to one of my son's acquaintances I'm sure we would need to have a long talk about it. My son remembers his peers - he remembers people.

I would spare your son the details but not hesitate to talk to him about the fact that the child died and it was unfortunate. I wouldn't lie but I'm not sure I would be forthcoming with details. I would also consult with his teachers and school staff, principal and what not to see how they are handling things at the school. How are they handling rumors and that sort of thing.

We had something happen at our son's school this year that is similarly tragic - not a death but a molestation arrest that so far has not really gone anywhere. My 7 year old has been talked to but he didn't really seem to understand much more than the basics so we didn't go deeper than that.

Talk to your kid though; let them know that if they need help or want to talk that you are there. It's not always easy for parents to talk to their kids and it isn't always easy for kids to talk to their parents. My 4 year old an I can talk but my 7 year old and I are challenged. We just have personality differences that make things hard. I try though, I think he does too but in the end because of our challenges I do make sure he has other people he feels comfortable talking with that I trust (including his mother of course, counselors, teachers, scout leaders, etc). You also need to build up your own trusted relationships in the community so that you can get help keeping things safe and be part of that community safety net.