How To Guide Your Child Through Grief

AD - This is a PR collaboration.

Grief can be a complex and confusing time for most adults, which can make it increasingly difficult to explain the loss of a relative or friend to a child and help them through this tough time. Losing a loved one will be one of the most complicated processes you will ever experience, and there is no wrong or right way for both you and your child to grieve. 

While there is, unfortunately, no go-to method for helping your son or daughter through this upsetting period, the following practices could guide your child through grief. 


Provide a Child with Space to Grieve
The best thing you can do for your child is to provide him or her with the space to grieve. The death of a loved one can lead to a mixture of complicated, overwhelming emotions, which they need to be able to work through at their own pace. If they fail to do so, their intense feelings could manifest into a mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety.

Care for Yourself
Not only might you be struggling to come to terms with the death of a loved one, but you might be struggling with the added heartache of watching your child in pain. While it might be tempting to climb under a duvet and ignore the world, you must aim to come to terms with your own emotions and care for your wellbeing so you can help your child navigate through their painful feelings. If you display various healthy coping techniques, it could serve as a powerful lesson in grief for your child, too.

Encourage a Healthy Outlet
Children can often find it difficult to articulate their emotions. To ensure you’re aware of how they’re feeling at all times, encourage various healthy outlets to help your son or daughter to express their emotions effectively. 

For example, they could work through their feelings by: 
Drawing
Journaling
Listening to music
Writing stories 

The above mediums often come more naturally to children, as their communication skills haven’t fully developed. It can, therefore, provide children with a means of expressing their thoughts and feelings. 

Secure Their Future
Unfortunately, it’s common for some children to be excluded from a parent’s will, which might only come to light following their death. Thankfully, you don’t have to sit back in silence, as you could contest a will on your child’s behalf.  
However, ensure you do so before probate has been granted, which could make it more difficult for your child to receive the inheritance that rightfully belongs to them. Visit the-inheritance-experts.co.uk to find out more. 

Normalise the Grieving Process
Children might feel misunderstood or alone when struggling with the loss of a parent, relative or friend. Minimise their heartache by confirming the powerful emotions they are feeling are both normal and healthy; otherwise, they might be tempted to resist voicing their feelings due to fear or embarrassment. It is also wise to listen more than you speak, so they have the space to open up to express their emotions. 

2 comments:

  1. A great post, Megan is 7 in august and was really upset when granny died last year, I didn't think she would understand it but she did, we comforted her and she drew pictures, as I've previously mentioned my fiance has heart failure and im so scared we will lose him if he doesnt get a transplant, Mollie is quite young but Connor is nearly 15 and Megan is nearly 7 and im terrified for them, Megan is such a daddys girl xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. great post we all have to help kids through grief at some point

    ReplyDelete