Grief can be a difficult process for most people, but it can be especially troublesome for children when they can’t put words to their emotions or feel like no one understands them. Teachers, parents, coaches, uncles - no matter the role, most of us have children in our lives that we care for in some capacity.
While grief can lend itself to feelings of helplessness, there are actually some concrete ways that adults can support children through the grieving process. An article in the Huffington Post suggested that one of the most important things being to accept a child’s feelings and avoid the urge to just ‘cheer them up.’ Easier said than done right? But think for a moment, if you’d lost someone you loved and rather than listen to your thoughts and feelings someone just told you to feel better, wouldn’t you feel a bit dismissed? It’s a very similar experience for children. When a child is angry, sad, or upset your role as a loving adult can normalize those feelings and provide a safe space to work through them. The Coalition of Grieving Students has created a manual for helping children work through the loss of a loved one.