Thursday, November 5, 2009

Grieving Young People

"If it were now," said someone to my son, a few weeks after the death of his twin brother, "and your mother was a seven-year-old in the hospital after the death of her brother and mother, her father would have been surrounded by child life specialists and social workers and therapists, all providing him with the information he would need to get her into therapy and a support group, and providing him with help for himself and as a parent. I'm guessing nothing like that happened?"

"In 1960?" I said. "Nothing at all. We went home and we went on with our lives."

So perhaps it's not so surprising that I know little about resources for grieving children. Or even young adult children grieving the loss of siblings and friends. I brought home what looked like a pretty thorough and helpful book a week or so after Josh died, and his brother tossed it across the room, saying, "There's nothing in here that I didn't learn on my own in the first few days."

So I've asked around and a few answers have trickled in. I'm going to add a new set of links in the sidebar; more suggestions are always welcome.

5 comments:

Hope said...

There is a children's book on grieving that was used when I was in treatment and I liked it for myself. It's called Tear Soup.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much. The suggestions on Search the Sea and here are very appreciated. I have Ordered Say Goodnigh Grace and will look for this one. They will be placed in our church library as a resource - there isn't a lot for older teens and these are needed.
April

Karen said...

I was also going to mention Tear Soup--it was one of the better resources and good for the whole family.

Anonymous said...

I thought "The Empty Room" was a good one for parents in understanding the loss their other children experience when a sibling dies. Mostly a what not to do.

Nancy said...

I'm behind in my reading and commenting.

Our family, too, in 1966 went on with life as if it were the same.

I have been drawn to Rainbows for All God's Children, a national organization for grieving children (I'm not certain of their age ranges, may not fit for teens).

Praying for many graces for you, for then and for now.