Helping Children Cope With The Loss Of A Loved One

How to help children cope with the loss of a loved one

Children coping with lossEveryone has a coping mechanism when it comes to the loss of a loved one. However, children as fragile as they are, remain a variable factor in the equation of death, especially that of a loved one. The younger the children, the more difficulty adults face while explaining death to them. This is usually because they take each and every word in a literal sense and that makes death description very difficult, especially when the deceased is a very close blood relative of the young one. Therefore, social science has extensively researched upon the dos and don’ts of helping children, who are grieving a loved one, which is especially taken care of at Baldwin Brothers funeral homes in Orlando. The gist of these researches includes the following:

Graspable language

Talk to the child in a humble and understandable language. Complex medical language is far less effective than the simple language describing the circumstances that lead to the demise of the person. Use a language which relates to the basic senses of the childlike vision, hear, touch and feel.

Allow time and space

Allow ample amount of time for the child to digest the occurrence and then give him the requisite space in order to express his grief. An older child may do that with tears but the younger ones usually don’t have the right words or expressions in order to express grief. They must be given the space in order to express grief naturally.

Encourage questions

Children will always be eager to ask questions. In reality, you may not have the answers to all their queries, but your answers should be simple and honest. Listen very carefully and assess your answers before you speak out, as they might have a long lasting effect on the growth and development of the child.

Observe

You need to observe the reaction of the child once you are explaining death to him/her. You don’t have to dish out all the information if the child is not in receiving mode or not responding appropriately. Use exploring questions in order to gauge the mental state of the child.

Don’t hide your feelings

Since you are in the same surrounding, you must also be grieving. It is good to be strong, but share your feelings of sorrow with the child so he understands that his feelings are perfectly normal. Expressing feelings of love and grief is extremely beneficial at the time of the loss. We help you discover your sad side without any procedure coming in your way at Orlando Funeral Homes.

Different child, different reactions

Not all children react similarly to the news of death. Even two brothers or twins may have altogether different reactions. Talking to them separately is a good way of keeping the reactions separate from each other.

The first few days

The first few days after the loss are always important as the trauma can be much more than you can see on the surface for a child. Prepare them for the events that may occur in the first few days so it is not a surprise to their already grieving body and souls.

HELP!

Help the child and yourself too by commemorating the memories of the person who passed away. This helps in facilitating in healthy or positive grieving pattern development, especially for the child. For children, translating grief into creative writing, storytelling and planting flowers are healthy methods of grieving in a manner that it doesn’t have a negative impact on their physical and mental health. This is the time when a child needs intelligent support, the most. Be that coping mechanism for the child, so that he can move on as death is a part of life that can’t be fast-forwarded.