Daily Tips for Families

Today's Tip for Families

05-24-2022

Help Your Child Cope With the Loss of a Loved One

Millions of people, many of them children, have lost loved ones to the pandemic. But whether the cause is COVID or something else, sooner or later, someone your child loves will die.

The death of a loved one can affect all areas of your child's life, including schoolwork. And since the person is likely to be someone you also cared for, it may be hard for you to talk about what has happened.

Here are some ideas that may help you help your child:

Be honest. Clearly, you will tell a sixth-grader more about what happened than a first-grader. But your child needs to know you can be counted on to tell the truth.
Be sensitive to your child's fears. If the person died in a hospital, your child may become afraid of going to the hospital, or of having you go. Talk together about the excellent care people receive from doctors and nurses.
Talk with your child about your family's beliefs. Your values will comfort you and your child.
Make a photo album. Gather pictures of the person you lost. Talk about what happened when each picture was taken. These stories will help your child remember the loved one.
Plant a tree. A tree is a living message that life does go on.
Make a family donation to a charity in memory of the person you lost.

Brought to you by:

Webster County Schools

[School Success Ideas for Families]