Grief is a complex emotional response that anyone can experience at any stage of life. It’s difficult to know how to help yourself; it’s harder to figure out what to say to a child coping with grief. Where do you even start?
1) Let Them Have a Creative Outlet
Children may or may not want to talk about their feelings, but they will want to express themselves in their own way. This can mean art, music, writing, or any other medium they feel comfortable using.
If they’re able to express their feelings through art, music, or drama, it can be one of the most cathartic experiences. Art is a great way for children to communicate their emotions, and it also gives them a sense of control over the situation.
2) Help Them Build New Relationships
They may feel like they’ve lost the relationship with their deceased loved one, but they’ll feel more connected to them if they can spend time with friends and family that they loved too.
Encourage them to talk about the person they’ve lost and the things they loved to do with that person.
It can also help them to express their feelings to the people around them.
3) Tell Them the Truth
Kids are often very intuitive when it comes to hidden truths, so they may pick up on an adult’s feelings of guilt. If they know what’s happened and the reasons why, it may help them to deal with the situation without feeling guilty themselves.
If a family member has died, it’s important to tell the children what happened. It’s crucial that they know how the person died and how they can appreciate the fact that they lived a full life.
You might not be able to answer all of their questions, but try to do the best you can.
4) Find Ways to Celebrate Their Lives
You might want to focus on their life and the good memories, but children don’t always want to talk about their sadness. You can still help them remember their loved ones while also celebrating their life.
This can mean setting up photo collages or scrapbooks that contain pictures and written memories from others.
It can also mean finding ways to keep the person’s memory alive, such as throwing a party or creating a memorial fund.
5) Be Honest About Your Own Feelings
It’s important to be honest with your children in all aspects of your life. They should always know how you feel about them and you should always talk about how you feel about their deceased loved one.
If you pretend like everything is okay, you’re only preventing your children from coping with the situation.
You may not know what to say to them, but you can constantly reassure them that you’re there for them.
Conclusion
Even though your children may not be able to process the loss of a loved one, they’ll learn more about the situation if you’re honest with them. When children are able to focus on the person they’ve lost and the things they loved to do with them, they’ll be able to cope with their grief and move on.
Hope Seed Support is one of the best therapy support centers in Houston that will help your child have a better understanding of how they feel. Consult with us today to see how we can help.
