Grieving Children: How To Help Youngsters Cope With Loss

Even as adults, coping with grief and loss is never easy--how much more for grieving children? While we talk about how we mourn for the death of our loved ones, so often we overlook how our youngsters grieve and they usually don't know how to cope with loss and it can affect their sense of security. In explaining grief and loss to grieving children: Be honest and direct, but also be very gentle. Try not to connect death with "sleeping". Grieving children may misinterpret it and they may ask when the person is going to "wake up". Try not to tell them that God took away their loved one. It may create feelings of anxiety or resentment toward God. Encourage questions and an open communication with them. Answer their questions as simple and as honest as you can. Never try to drench them with too much information and just offer them what they can absorb--for now. Youngsters can be scared of death and its effect on their future. Maintain your regular activities as much as you can. Allow them the chance to validate their feelings and apprehension. Have an alternate adult for sharing what they have in mind since youngsters are typically reluctant in expressing the real grief they feel with their parents. Encourage to let them open their emotions, allowing them and everyone to cry freely when you feel you have to. Always make yourself available to talk to them; any strong reminder of death-- like birthdays and the anniversary of death can reawaken grief. It can take a while to heal from a loss and don't be alarmed if their grief revisits every once in a while during their childhood to adolescence till their teenage years. For more details about how to deal with grieving children coping with loss, check out my new ebook, Healing After Death.