How To Help a Grieving Child

How To Help A Grieving Child

Grief can be an extremely tough subject to approach with anyone, but with children it can be particularly difficult. Children can find it hard to understand the emotions they are feeling and often become confused, sad and sometimes angry. It is your job as the care giver to help the child understand that these emotions are healthy, and help them through the grieving process.

Below we have compiled a list of resources that we believe will help you and your child through this process.

How To Approach The Subject:

The most important thing to remember when helping a grieving child is to let them talk, listen to all they have to say. Try not to be afraid of showing your emotions to them. Show them that expressing emotions is a healthy outlet, and they don't have to experience the grieving process alone.

Reframing and Redefining Grief:

The way we choose to grieve as adults can have a direct effect on our children's grieving process as a whole. Children will emulate the feelings and emotions presented to them, which often times leaves them to grieve in silence. Reframing and redefining the grief process for yourself will have a direct effect on the children around you. Grief does not have to be a negative. By changing the perception of grief, we as adults make a more healing, understanding environment for our children to learn and grow in.

'The way we reframe the grief experience for children is that we bring in the critical element of healing, which is connection. Belonging amongst eachother.' - Kate Atwood

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Dealing With Emotions:

Children can struggle dealing with overwhelming emotions, so it is our job to make sure these emotions can be expressed healthily. Below we have compiled as many helpful resources we could find that we think would be most informative for you and your child.