Bereavement and coping with loss in children.

Children frequently undergo some form of loss or separation in their young lives.

Many children will lose a grandparent during their childhood, and more rarely a parent.

In today’s modern world, a high proportion of children will experience their parent separation and divorce and may have to adapt to a second family.

However, many children will grieve over the loss of a pet or when the best friend moves away, or if they have to move house to a new area and leave friends behind.

In some cases, seemingly minor bereavements can trigger as much grief and sadness, as the more major trauma.

They certainly need to be taken seriously and acknowledged, especially if the child’s behaviour shows signs of change.

Some children are able to articulate their grief and get upset.

It is very important to be there for them, give them chance to talk and cry.

Other children become withdrawn or moody, taking it all to heart, while others become very clingy and regress.

Some children will start to behave badly at home or at school.

Children, who bottle up their feelings, may, like adults, develop a whole array of physical symptoms that come on after the loss.

There are a number of ways of helping children through this difficult period.

Encouraging the child to talk about the loss or difficult situation is important.

Keep the child’s routine as unchanged as possible, especially if there has been a separation or death in the family.

If someone close has died, children may be fearful that they may die or that they may lose someone close to them.

It is important to assure them that all people die at old age and allow them to express their fear.

Younger children will use drawing or imaginative play to act out their feelings.

Encourage this as much as possible.

If the parents are separating, then children will need a lot of reassurance that both parents still love them, that it is not their fault at all that they are separating.

This will be a difficult time for the parents, but spending time to comfort the child is vital.

There are a number of homeopathic remedies that are very effective in helping a child through these emotionally challenging phases in their lives.

Please, do consider taking a child for a homeopathic treatment.