Helping Children to Grieve

When children have suffered a loss, the holidays can also be a time when grief, new emotions and memories hit full force. Adults play a vital role in helping children grieve. To help you navigate the grieving process with your family, keep in mind:
● The family is the center of your child’s world. Try to provide as much
stability as possible, so children don’t feel abandoned.
● Close family friends, and relatives can step in to help parents support
children through the grieving process.
● Resources abound to help you parent your children through this journey.
Because your child’s age and developmental stage impact how s/he
expresses grief, consider consulting a print resource appearing on one of
these lists:
○ “Top Six Grief Books for Children 2-5”
○ “Top Five Grief Books for Children 5-7”
○ “Top Five Grief Books for Children 7-12”
○ “Top Five Grief Books for Children 13-17”
● In addition, these more general digital resources provide helpful information too:
● “How Children Understand Death and What You Should Say”
from the American Academy of Pediatrics’ website
HealthyChildren.org
● “Developmental Response to Grief” from the Dougy Center’s
National Center for Grieving Children and Families
● “About Childhood Grief” from the National Alliance for Grieving
Children
● “Helping Your Child Deal with Death” from KidsHealth.org
Know that you aren’t alone. Help is available for parents, friends, and family members seeking ways to support children grappling with a significant loss.