There are certain days on one’s grief journey that are predictably harder than other days. We sometimes refer to these days as “trigger days.” These are days that typically have special significance, such as the birthday of our loved one, the death date, or holidays. It can be helpful to prepare in advance for these trigger days and to talk to your child about how they would like to approach those days. Would it be best to plan something to commemorate their loved one or best to do something totally unrelated? Would a quiet day at home be helpful or would an outing be helpful? Whatever you and your child decide on, it is best to hold these plans loosely so that a pivot can be made if the child is reacting in a different way than was anticipated. However you and your child choose to spend that day, showing that you are there for your child will be an invaluable gift!
Preparing for trigger days
