Helping Children with Loss

We never want to think about children grieving, but the truth is, they do grieve. As adults sometimes it’s overwhelming to figure out how to help and support them. Helping Children with Loss is a class for adults so that you are equipped with the skills and tools necessary to help the children in your life navigate loss, transition, and change. These skills work to support young children all the way through young adulthood. This class is not just for parents, but for grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, school administrators and counselors, coaches, youth pastors and leaders — really anyone who has children in their personal or professional life they would like to be able to support.

The most common losses children experience are the death of a pet, the death of a grandparent, divorce of their parents, and moving. When I think about my own childhood or the childhood of my daughters, I realize just how many opportunities there are to support our children in loss. A best friend moves away, older siblings leave the nest to go to college, a favorite celebrity dies, they didn’t make the soccer team, or they’re diagnosed with a chronic illness. There’s heartbreak in relationships as teens and young adults, not getting into the college they hoped, losing a schoolmate or friend to suicide, someone they know dies in a car accident, or a sibling or parent dies. There are too many possibilities, really. And, we can’t leave out all the grief the pandemic caused our children in so many ways.