Children and Grief

All children regardless of their age are able to grieve. Even infants and toddlers can sense grief-related emotions and feelings. And it’s not unusual for children to grieve sporadically.

With the most comprehensive children’s program in the region, the Center for Grief & Healing is committed to helping children and their families cope with loss. In 2005 alone, our children’s program helped over 1,300 children through family consultations, classroom visits and dedicated support groups for kids.

Our children's program coordinator, an expressive therapist, is here as a resource for you and your family as well as schools, congregations, parent-teacher organizations, day care centers, and other groups dealing with children.

Our free children's support groups offer a dedicated, safe forum for children in different age groups to express feelings associated with the death of a loved one. Open to any child dealing with loss, our groups are free of charge and occur on an ongoing basis, with the option to attend as many groups as desired. However, space is limited and pre-registration is required. For more information and for our current schedule, call 978-774-5100.

Some of the additional ways we help:

Grief assessments
Emergency debriefing
Detailed age-appropriate curriculum on grief
Annual Camp Stepping Stones for children and their families
Phone consultations
Remembrance services and activities
Comprehensive lending library
Consultations to help parents and children, both during illness and after a loss
Collaboration with area schools, hospitals, parents’ groups and other organizations

How you can help the children in your life:

How to help? Preparation, discussion, art and play are some ways to help children understand death. These types of interventions don't necessarily have to come from a therapist, they can come from parents, teachers, and other well-meaning adults.

How to talk about death? Presented in concrete terms, death can be viewed by children as part of a natural process, that every living thing dies. It's essential that children be given age-appropriate information to help reduce their fear of death and correct any misconceptions they may have.

For a free resource booklet on Children, Teens and Grief, email grief@hns.org or call the Center for Grief & Healing at 978-774-5100.

We also offer a complimentary guidebook on how to talk with children when someone they care about is seriously ill. Just call or email us for more information or to request resources.

What's normal?
Children grieve differently at different times throughout their life. As they grow through the grieving process, their reactions can change drastically.