Losing a loved one is hard enough as an adult, but it's especially hard for children, who don't have a solid grasp of the concepts of death and grief. They are entering a new world where they have to live without someone precious to them and all the complicated emotions it brings. Including them in the decision-making process gives them a sense of control - which is something that they typically want, but find difficult to express.

Losing a loved one is hard enough as an adult, but it's especially hard for children, who don't have a solid grasp of the concepts of death and grief. They are entering a new world where they have to live without someone precious to them and all the complicated emotions it brings. Including them in the decision-making process gives them a sense of control - which is something that they typically want, but find difficult to express.

When involving children in decision-making, you must consider the fact that too many choices could overwhelm them, especially if they are open-ended. It's safe to give them two choices if they're very young, and three or more if they're older.

Key Takeaways:

Just like adults, children also want to feel a sense of control when grieving.

Letting your child go back to school after losing a loved one may actually help them - it gives them a sense of normalcy and control.

Too many choices can overwhelm children - stick to two if they're very young, and three or more if they're older.

Resources

Odette Mould on LinkedIn
Sophia Giblin on LinkedIn