A family member or close friend has died.
Children deal with grief differently, depending on personality and age. It is important to understand your child's developmental understanding of death when helping them grieve. KidsHealth.org's article, Helping Your Child Deal With Death provides some background on developmental understandings of death and how to approach it with your child. It is always important to create an a safe environment for children to ask any questions and feel any feelings (some of them might surprise you). There is no right or wrong way for a child to handle the death of a loved one, and you as the adult will not have all the answers. You will certainly need help along the way. Willow House is an example of one organization in the area that provides services to help children and families deal with grief. You will also need assistance from your school community, and the staff at Westgate is here to help.
It is always a good idea to inform your child's teacher of the death so they can be particularly sensitive to your child's unique needs at such a difficult time. In addition, we recommend talking to one of the social workers at Westgate, as we can provide resources in the area and meet with your child to help them process their feelings.
It is always a good idea to inform your child's teacher of the death so they can be particularly sensitive to your child's unique needs at such a difficult time. In addition, we recommend talking to one of the social workers at Westgate, as we can provide resources in the area and meet with your child to help them process their feelings.
