Children and Grieving

Children and Grieving

  • Submitted By: kenna
  • Date Submitted: 11/25/2009 1:21 PM
  • Category: Psychology
  • Words: 3629
  • Page: 15
  • Views: 1

Walking Children Through Grief
When is a child old enough to truly understand the meaning of death? Do they grieve similar to that of adults or do they have a limited understanding of death and the feelings of loss that surround death? Are there benefits from shielding children from the emotional effects of death or are there limitations to what adults should share with children in times of grief and mourning? What are ways in which we can help a saddened child struggling through the difficult aspects of bereavement? To find the answers to such questions we must begin by recognizing that children are in a constant state of development, trying to make sense of their world and the events that are occurring all around them. In the book titled “They Need to Know” Gordon and Klass explain that children are not only developing physically (which is the most evident), or cognitively, but spiritually, emotionally, socially, psychologically and behaviorally as well (11). Thus, their understanding surrounding death and loss, and the ways in which they react to death are constantly undergoing changes.
Certainly it is sad to see any child struggling through a difficult situation of losing a loved one. Our first instinct may be to protect them from any further pain or sorrow by shielding them from the facts or details of the death. However, the opposite of this is true; in order to help a child we should first begin with the truth. A child’s greatest need is for trust and truth (Grollman 4). When we offer children honest answers, allow them free expression of emotions, and enable them to think their ideas through, we are giving them the ability to form realistic, healthy attitudes toward death (Gordon and Klass 52). Although the loss of a loved one can be a traumatic experience for a child, there are many ways in which adults can help children navigate throughout their difficult emotions and ultimately understand that death is a part of life, loss is a part of...

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