Audience Category: For Families

It can be very scary when a parent loses the ability to interact as they use to with a child due to loss of a limb. It can frighten children and is often hard for them to understand. Being prepared to help children adjust can alleviate stress and anxiety from the already sensitive situation.

For many children, pet death is the first time they will experience grief and loss. Children’s reactions to the death of a pet will depend upon their age and developmental level. Guiding children through the loss of a beloved pet in a positive way will help them to handle grief in the future.

In the aftermath of the death of a sibling, a child needs answers but often does not know how to ask the questions. This guide contains helpful tips for child care providers and parents.

There are two types of losses that occur in everyone’s life. “Maturational losses” predictably occur during the life cycle. “Situational losses” are caused by unexpected or unusual circumstances. Children will likely experience both types during the preschool years, and will need adult support and recognition of these losses.

Learn what grief and loss looks like to a preschool-age child, and what you can do to help.

At some point in their childhood, most children will experience the death of a friend. It can be challenging to break the news to a child that his or her friend is gone. The death of a friend is difficult for children to understand. How kids respond depends greatly on their age, experiences, and personality.… Continue reading When a Friend Dies

When a natural disaster occurs, children need to know that they are safe and will be kept safe. Will I be okay? Will you be okay? Will everyone I know be okay?

Other than the death of a parent, the breakup of a family can have the most devastating effect on children. Their lives change permanently as divorce is not a temporary state; it is an on-going process often involving parental conflicts, custody battles, and families fighting. The child witnesses and experiences everything.

A variety of helpful tips for helping children cope with stress, especially after a loss.

Children spend a great deal of their time in preschool with teachers and other children. Even at the earliest of ages, young children develop meaningful relationships with their classmates. Teachers have important roles in the lives of children and when they are suddenly absent for a long period from school a child suffers a loss.… Continue reading Helping a Child Cope With the Loss of a Teacher or Classmate