Jane Sandwood
Teacher | Blogger | Mom

Experiencing the trauma of a miscarriage, the death of a parent or even the death of a beloved family pet can be devastating for you, but it can be even worse for your children who may feel scared and confused. You want to be there for your family in the hardest of times and help them get back to their lives as soon as they can. This doesn’t mean, however, that you have to hold everything inside which can be unhealthy. Working through your grief and teaching your family to do the same will ensure that they can let go and grow up emotionally healthy.

Reaching Out

The first thing that you have to realize is that you don’t need to go through loss alone. You may feel that your grief is a burden on others, but if you can’t work through your grief, you may end up causing more problems for your loved ones down the road. Also, if you reach out to a family member, you might just give them the opening they were waiting for to talk about it.

There’s also professional help. Certified grief counselors are trained to help people work through loss so they can process their emotions and return to their lives. If you just want people to talk to, there are support groups out there where members share their stories and help each other. You can find a group online through websites like Griefshare.

Helping Your Children Understand

Children learn about death younger than we think, so it’s important to be honest with them when explaining death and loss. Children deal with grief in different ways and listening is the best way to find out how to help them. They may cry, ask questions or not seem to react at all. They’ll need answers, comfort and space to help them process their emotions.

You don’t always have to be a rock for your children, share your emotions with them and encourage them to do the same with you. Then, explain to them the best you can how things will change in the future; uncertainty is one of the most frightening things after a loss. There are plenty of free resources online that can help you.

It’s in Your Hands

With the right help and information, you’ll be able to find the best way to help your family in those difficult times. The only thing you shouldn’t do, is nothing. Reach out, observe your family to discover how best to help them, and remember: you’re not alone.

About Jane Sandwood

Jane always wanted to be a teacher as a child, and after graduating college went straight into primary education where she worked for a decade before taking time off to start her own family. She now campaigns against child abuse and domestic violence while working as a freelance writer and editor.

View all posts by Jane Sandwood here.

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