Helping your Child Deal with Grief

Helping Children Deal With Grief means you must also work at accepting your own feelings about grief. It is not an easy road, but realizing that we are grief differently, understanding that grief can show itself in many different forms will help us to accept it. 

Adults and children respond to that grief differently. Younger children may view the death as temporary or reversible. They do not grasp the finality of death. Because children view death differently than adults they should never be forced to attend a funeral if they are scared to go. Let them deal with the death on their own terms such as drawing a picture, writing a letter or making a scrapbook.

Remember, children may simply be grieving because they see you grieving. Accept where they are, encourage them to explore feelings, and be honest about your own. Like everything, grief is a process. There will be good days and bad. There will be easy days and difficult. Understanding that you are grieving and it is acceptable will help you to face it head on.

If grief ever becomes so overwhelming that you can not function for days at a time, consider seeing a grief counselor to help you. There is no shame in seeking help. Think of it as a gift to yourself and your children as you pass your healing on to them.