If you have kids then you will know how important it is for you to protect them as much as you possibly can. You will also understand how important it is for you to try and give them the support that they need as well, but when you lose someone in your family, this can be very difficult to do. You may find it hard to explain the concept of grief to your kids and you may also find it difficult to explain to them what has happened as well. If you want to get some hints and tips then you can find out whatever you need to know below.
Be Honest
The first thing that you need to do is make sure that you tell the truth. If your kids know that you are hiding something from them then this can lead to a lot of mistrust. They may also feel reluctant to turn to you if they ever need your help as well, and this is the last thing that you need. Kids get crazy ideas and if you don’t help them come to terms with what has happened then they will try and fill in the blanks. When you lose someone, it should be an open discussion and not a lecture. You need to start out with some of the basics as this will help you to find out everything that you need to know about the way your child is feeling.
Don’t Overcomplicate Things
When you are discussing death, don’t use statements that your child won’t be able to understand. Things like “he’s gone to the great beyond” or anything else of the sort could confuse your child, so try and use age-appropriate language that they will be able to comprehend. You may even want to consider accredited mental health counseling masters online, as this is a fantastic way for you to give your child the best chance at dealing with their own grief in a way that they are able to understand.
Listen to Them
Your child’s concerns probably won’t be similar to your own. They may have questions that to you, are just silly but this should never really be the case at all. You have to make sure that you answer them properly and that you don’t make them feel stupid as a result. Sure, you are dealing with your own grief as well but the difference between your grief and theirs is that they may find it hard to understand what has actually happened. For this reason, you need to make sure that you listen to them and that you give them the constant help and support that they need. This way, you can be sure to really help them out and you can make the whole process easier for them as well.
So there are a couple of things that you can do to try and help your child through the whole grief process, and by helping them to understand what has happened, you can be sure to give them all the support they need.
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