This advice is most appropriate for parents with children in...
Preschool and Younger
Elementary School
Middle School
High School & Beyond

Age of your child at time of loss:
6
11

What type of loss did your child experience?
Loss of a loved one

Please briefly describe the loss and the emotions your child experienced.
When their grandfather died, my two children reacted in very different ways.
My 11 year old daughter completely vented her grief through tears, comments and questions over the course of the funeral process - and then, for her, it was over.
My 6 year old son was more introspective. He watched the process more than talked, but then took longer to heal. Through the following weeks, he was weepy and clingy, often crying and saying he missed his grandfather. This came up quite a bit in school and then again at bedtime.

How did you help your child deal with his or her emotions? How did you help your child regain a sense of normalcy?
We kept in close contact with our son's teacher, letting her know the situation, and having her keep us informed as to how his day went. We stopped whatever we were doing when questions or comments arose, allowed extra time for bedtime and tried to remain patient. I also bought some children's books on grief that were very helpful. One in particular, "Someone I Love Died," was similar to a journal where the child could put pictures and write down memories.

Please add any additional comments or suggestions:
My father-in-law died in mid-November and my son was still experiencing difficulty just prior to Christmas. His teacher and I agreed that if he was still having problems when school resumed in January(crying, dwelling on his grandfather's death), we would seek outside counseling. Luckily, getting out of the school routine, having non-stop time at home with me, and going through the holidays, helped enormously and we were able to move on without counseling. However, we would not have hesitate to get him outside help if things had not gotten better.