This month, we are sharing ideas for helping you and your child manage emotions. Losing a loved one is difficult for people of any age, and having to go through grief is taxing on one’s emotions, physical well-being, and relationships. Some common emotions that people experience while grieving the loss of a loved one are anger, sadness, numbness, guilt, and acceptance. While dealing with loss at times feels like you are struggling, some ways for you and your child to help cope are:
- Taking walks
- Playing games or board games
- Working out and or other kid-friendly exercises
- Talking about your feelings with one another
- Playing with animals
- Telling stories about your loved one
- Drawing pictures or writing a letter about your loved one
Becoming aware of different ways to help cope with your emotions can help during those times when you feel overwhelmed. Taking those steps can make a major difference in your journey. Talking to friends and family is a great way to feel better and help with challenging emotions. Talking to a therapist can help, too. When children are dealing with grief, talking to your child about the loss is important and will validate some of their feelings. When talking to your children it’s important to make them feel accepted. When discussing the death of a loved one, try to do so in places where the child feels safe to have any kind of emotional response.
-Hayden Brown, COJ Social Work Intern