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The key ingredient is your openness to explore whatever creative ideas are necessary to help your child move through
grief process and not become stagnate in any one phase. In helping children cope with
loss of someone they love keep
following in mind:
Be honest and direct and truthful in explaining what happened. Creating stories to “protect” feelings may make
grief process more difficult in
long run.
Allow and encourage children to express their feelings openly. Let them know that crying is normal, helpful and acceptable. Don’t put time limits on this process. Each child is unique and will move along at a pace most comfortable to him. Don’t compare or contrast one child from another and categorize strength or weaknesses. Help them know you accept their feelings, support positive choices and will guide them through negative experiences along
way.
Accept individual emotions and reactions and don’t tell
child what he or she should or should not feel.
Listen to what
child is saying then focus on responding to
child’s needs. Avoid putting words in their mouth or thoughts in their head. Become a good listener.
Be a strong foundation, maintaining as much stability in
child’s life as you can.
Encourage
child to be part of some of
decisions
family will make during
death planning process. Take time to explain
process and procedures and always ask them how they feel. Don’t band them from discussions.
Be patient, recognizing that children may need to hear what happened again and again and will ask
same questions over and over. Not unlike
learning curve in school, repetition is helpful to reinforcing
meaning of an end of life process.
Grieving is an individual wilderness experience that is not exclusive to adults. Shock, anger, denial, guilt and behavior changes are human responses. Children need adults to help them connect to their resources, maintain a positive attitude, and walk in faith believing that they will heal and get through it. Knowing that someone cares will help make their “wilderness” journey easier to bear. You will both be victorious if you take a step back from your own pain and remember that children grieve too.
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Theresa V. Wilson, M.Ed. is a freelance writer and owner of a home based business dedicated to providing products and resources for grieving families and caregivers facing health recovery and crisis related issues. Her Grief and Health support sites are www.meetingtheneeds.org and www.renewingyourhealth.org