What about children and grief?
Children grieve but not always like adults. Their understanding, the way they react and what helps them varies with age. All ages sense sadness, feel loss and pain, fear death and being left alone. Some children may feel guilt for what has happened. Each child is different and will deal with their grief in their own way, even when they came from the same family

Children:

• under three can't grasp that death is forever.
• under ten may fear getting sick and dying..
• over ten may understand but have difficulty facing or talking about death. Sometimes they may withdraw.

What will help children with their grief?

• Being part of what is happening.
• Being told the truth in words they understand and given lots of support.
• Having someone listen to what they are really saying and accepting their feelings.
• Being told that illness does not always lead to death.
• Knowing they are loved, that their thoughts and feelings are good and normal and it is OK to cry.
• Knowing that others understand and it is good to show their feelings through play by talking, drawing, painting, poetry, puppets, and music.
• An adult who shows and talks about their feelings with their children helps the child to understand death and how to deal with their feelings.