IS MY CHILD HANDLING GRIEF

IS MY CHILD HANDLING GRIEF

After a death in your family, it is important to monitor how your child is feeling. All children grieve and some of these symptoms may be normal reactions, however when they last a long time or seem to be getting worse, it is time to seek medical health. Your pediatrician can recommend a trained therapist or counselor to help your child.

You may be trying very hard to handle your own grief, but it is important to the healthy growth and development of your child that they process what has happened. Here are some signs to look for that your child may be struggling:

• Child denies the death

• Child leaves the room every time the dead person’s name is mentioned

• Child will not talk about his/her feelings

• Child’s sleep disturbances continue for a long time

• Separation anxiety becomes extreme

• The child shows heightened anxiety, clings more, whines more

• Cries more for long periods of time

• Other fears become more intense, such as fear of the dark

• The child is angry often taking it out on aa sibling or a pet

• The child seems depressed or withdrawn for a long time

Your child may also show signs of regressive behavior. You may see:

• Your previously trained child starts wetting their pants

• Bed-wetting begins or re-emerges

• Thumb sucking becomes excessive or re-emerges

• The child may begin speaking baby talk

• The child begins to crawl after having walked

As stated above, all these are some normal signs a grieving child can display, but what you want to be aware of is if it lasts a long period of time, and/or it become excessive.

You may be dealing with grief in your own way, but it is important that you
talk with your doctor if you see any signs your child is not processing the death in the family in a healthy way.

RESOURCES

The Crisis Manual for Early Childhood Teachers, Karen Miller