Grief is Complex, Especially When a Child is Involved, so Here are Some Tips for Helping them Through the Process
If your family has recently had a loss and utilized cremation service in Des Moines, IA, this can leave a lot of questions, especially for the children in the household. Their grief can be more complex because not only do they have their own experience, but there are also watching their loved one’s process grief. Finding ways to help them better understand what has happened is crucial, so here are some tips.
The Effect of Grief on Children
Typically, grief will affect children differently than adults because, in most cases, adults can manage their emotions more easily and get through daily tasks. Children might try having the same approach, but their feelings can fluctuate rapidly and go from crying to playing quickly. Younger children may have signs of regression or seem more anxious or clingy. Whereas an older child might have waves of grief that come on suddenly.
Explaining Grief
It can be difficult for children to talk about their feelings, especially at the beginning, so a few things to incorporate are:
- Encourage them to ask questions about death.
- Spend time one-on-one with them, giving them extra attention and energy, and ask if there’s anything specific, they would like to do together.
- Use accurate and appropriate language, and don’t be vague about what has happened to the loved one.
Coping Skills to Apply
Finding ways to help them cope is essential because the loss can cause a great deal of upheaval in the household. One of the most crucial things is to keep the daily routine in place. Loss can cause pauses in weekly and daily activities due to different obligations around the funeral, but if at all possible, keep any activities they usually have in place and stabilized.
It can also be helpful to develop coping skills by creating a vocabulary of emotions. This can help them describe their experience and show them that emotions are more complex than being sad, happy, or mad. Encouraging them to express their feelings through different methods is also helpful, and a few options include:
- Drawing images about their feelings
- Having them create a memory book with pictures of the deceased
- Getting them a journal or a way to write down their feelings and thoughts
Other Considerations
Many different resources are available for children suffering a loss, including books, grief support, and toolkits online, that can help process the grief more effectively. You can also consider reaching out to a professional who works with children to help them through the process as another beneficial resource.
When You Need Professional Support and Compassionate Services, we are Here for You
Helping a child through grief can be a challenging experience, but when you have the right resources in
place, it can make the process easier. And if you need support due to a loss, we are here to help you. We are experts if you need a professional and affordable cremation service in Des Moines, IA, so contact us today for more information for your immediate need.
