Grief is something that most people deal with as they go through life. Sometimes, it can affect your children more than anybody else, and this is true especially when a child hasn’t come to terms with death before, as it presents a new situation for them to navigate around. Understandably, this can be a confusing time for children, which is why it’s best to do whatever you can to help them through the grieving process. It can be hard if you are also grieving the same loss, but there are many ways you can help your child through such a dark time while also helping yourself.
Talk about it
Talking about death to children can be difficult, as it is hard to know where their confusion ends and sadness begins. With older children, talking about death as frankly as you can is the best way to begin, but you should also be wary that their hormones may make their reactions more volatile. When it comes to younger children, you should use simple, reassuring language as you talk honestly about what has happened. In any case, try not to limit your conversations to negative aspects of your loved one’s death. Talking about how great their life was and what you can learn from it is extremely helpful when taking your child through the grieving process.
Ensure they get what they need
It is likely that you begin to think of the future of your children when someone dies. Thisincludes finding them therapy when they need it, and ensuring they get a fair share in the will of the person who has died if they should be included. To ensure they get what they need and to give your child some closure on the death, it’s always worth contesting a will with a company like The Inheritance Experts when something seems awry.
Make a memory box
There is no denying that helping your child through grief can force you to come to terms with your own grief. To bring you closer together during this time, it’s a good idea to do something to commemorate the life of the person you have lost. While a personal funeral is a good start, creating a memory box allows your child to celebrate all the wonderful things your loved one did in their lifetime. It also means that as their grief progresses, they can look upon that box as a fond memory, rather than something to mourn.
Offer counselling
There may be times when you can’t help your child grieve, even when you want to. It could be because you are supporting other people, attending to your own grief, or going to work to support the family. In any case, you can offer counseling to your child to bridge the gap. Itmay also give your child other ways to cope with grief which you may have been struggling to give. Counseling is also useful in older children, as grief can trigger mental health problems. It enables you to work your way around this before it becomes too much for your child.
Brought to you by our friend, Carol.