Healing a Hearts Loss » Children and Loss

Teachable Moments with Children and Death

Posted by wpadmin on November 23, 2018 in Children and Loss

Finding teachable moments to talk with children about death may seem daunting to some people, while others have no trouble. Depending on the situation, the opportunity may happen suddenly and it takes presence of mind to catch the moment or prior planning can go into creating teachable moments. One story I read spoke of finding […]

No One to Call Mom or Dad

Posted by wpadmin on August 21, 2014 in Children and Loss, Coping

No one to call mom or dad may have numerous applications and reasons for being a fact of life for some individuals. The memories of this way of being for a child may continue into adulthood. Stories remembered of making a craft for a mom or dad in school and not knowing what to do […]

A Grandson’s Concerns

Posted by wpadmin on July 24, 2013 in Children and Loss

It is not uncommon for people to share stories of grief and loss. To this day it never ceases to amaze me the number of children who live in fear after a death of a loved one. Fear due to not understanding what has happened or how the death occurred. Children are sometimes sheltered […]

“A Granddaughter’s Remembering”

Posted by wpadmin on July 18, 2013 in Children and Loss

I remember having a conversation with a child aged 5 after her grandma had died. This young child frequently expressed sadness and a few tears while sharing stories of times spent with grandma. The sharing of stories continued for several years but quickly changed from times spent with grandma to seeing grandma’s spirit on […]

Abby’s Song to “Grampy

Posted by wpadmin on July 5, 2013 in Children and Loss

One summer I had the honour of going to Prince Edward Island to support a friend whose dad was dying. A long story made short; for 3 weeks that summer I spent time with a large family of 12 children living and an even larger extended family of grandchildren, great grandchildren, cousins, brothers and sisters […]

Teenagers and Loss

Posted by wpadmin on March 25, 2013 in Children and Loss

The teenage years can be a time of struggling with everything and everyone from parents, friends, school and authority. The difficulty of teenagers separating from parents/family, becoming their own person and creating the independence necessary for their future can be a stressful process. Now, add components of grief and loss. How does this look […]

Grade School Aged Children with Grief and Loss

Posted by wpadmin on March 18, 2013 in Children and Loss

Today I am going to focus on children aged 7 to 11; keep in mind the age grouping is approximate due to children developing and maturing at different rates. Some of the information being pointed out about grief and loss experiences is meant to be a “heads up” not as an overall expectation for […]

Younger Children and Loss

Posted by wpadmin on March 11, 2013 in Children and Loss

I won’t delve into the reality of many adults having their own anxieties about death which can hinder their ability to help children deal with death and loss. Cartoons tell it all, don’t they? I am going to briefly touch base from a generalized perspective on grief and loss related to children approximately ages 2 […]

Helping You with Children, Funerals and Grief

Posted by wpadmin on March 4, 2013 in Children and Loss

Frequently I am asked if a child should go to the funeral home. I will never tell someone what to do but, below I will offer a few points for consideration. Future emotional development can be affected if a child is prevented from attending the funeral. Do not force a child to participate in […]