This episode is for anyone who has kids. If you've ever frozen when your kid asked where grandpa went, start here.

Welcome to the first of many "Ask the Expert" episodes at Dead Dads.

Dr. Korie Leigh is a thanatologist — a grief scientist. She told us the exact words to use. Not "passed away." Not "went to sleep." Most of us use soft language to protect kids from death. Dr. Korie's research says that backfires — hard. Kids fill gaps with stories scarier than the truth.

We cover the fish story, the fence story, why the five stages of grief aren't real, the two-conversation method for separating biology from belief, how to explain cremation to a child, and the single most important sentence to say after someone dies.

Meet Dr. Korie Leigh

Dr. Korie Leigh studies death, dying, grief, and loss for a living. She teaches it at the university level, sees kids and families in her clinical practice, trains hospices and schools, and wrote When Everything Changes — a book that takes all that knowledge and makes it usable for real families at the worst possible moment. She's also the first expert we've ever had on the show. We're trying to behave.

When Everything Changes: mcnallyrobinson.com

Next in the club: Matty Woods on his dad's funeral, which had only two rules. Listen now

About Dead Dads

Honest conversations about losing your dad. Hosted by Roger Nairn and Scott Cunningham. No grief brochure voice. No tidy healing arc. Just real talk for guys figuring it out. deaddadspodcast.com

Instagram: @deaddadspodcast

New episodes every week.