When you lose a loved one, the emotions you feel can be overwhelming. As an adult, however, you’re probably more equipped than a child to go through this type of situation.
It isn’t always easy to help children process their grief. They may not have any understanding of their own feelings — nor the ability to express them. This is especially true for younger children who aren’t very good at communicating yet.
Here’s what you can do to help a child process their grief:
Ask questions
Asking the child questions is one of the best ways that you can find out how they’re actually feeling. Younger children might mimic their feelings in play. Some may be vocal about how much they miss the person. The more you talk about their feelings, the more it will normalize those emotions and help the child to deal with the grief.
Answer questions
Being ready to answer the child’s questions is another essential. Some children might not understand why the person they love isn’t coming back. They might want to talk about how the person passed away. All of this isn’t easy to answer. Giving them answers that are age-appropriate can greatly benefit the child.
If your loved one’s traumatic death was the result of another party’s negligent, willful or reckless act, it may be time to consider a wrongful death claim. While that won’t restore your loved one to you, it can provide the money necessary to care for their children and move forward — and that can mitigate the problems they have in the future.