~FOOTPRINTS MINISTRY, INC.~
(BRINGING HOPE TO BEREAVED FAMILIES)
Skip & Jerry Mudge
6605 Mallard Park Dr
Charlotte, NC 28269
704 509-6603


 

~HELPING GRIEVING CHILDREN HANDLE THE HOLIDAYS~
Based on an article by:
Ralph Klicker in Thanatos ~ Fall 1992
(FOOTPRINTS MINISTRY NEWSLETTER ~ NOV/DEC 2002)

Children also can have very intense grief emotions during the Holidays, although sometimes they act as if nothing is wrong. Watch out for which traditions have stopped because of the death. Children have comfort in following routine, which includes family traditions. Some of the ideas that are in the article are:

Ask the kids what they would find most comforting & meaningful

You cannot help the kids without first trying to help yourself

Kids may have a hard time verbalizing their feelings and needs

Have smaller children draw how they feel

Have teenagers write down what they are feeling & what they need

Have the kids do something for others in memory of the deceased

Fill box for Operation Christmas Child for poor kids overseas

Bake cookies for someone in nursing home

Volunteer to help serve Thanksgiving dinner at local shelter

Encourage kids to write a note, make a picture etc for the deceased and share it with the family 

Let them be with friends if important to them

Prepare kids to expect ignorant comments from others, for example, "Isn’t it time to move on with life?"

Share memories of the deceased, both sad & funny. Don’t be afraid to talk about the person that died & don’t be afraid of tears Holidays the first year after the death are real tough

Give your kids an idea of your emotional condition

Explain that if you’re upset, it’s not because of them

Let them know it’s OK to feel sad or anything else

Keep plans flexible, with few demands on them

Give teens some latitude if they say nasty things to you, act angry etc.; don’t act on the words.

 

~THANKSGIVING~ (NEWSLETTER ~ NOV/DEC 2002)

~HOLIDAY HELPS~ (NEWSLETTER ~ NOV/DEC 2002)

~GRIEF SUPPORT INFORMATION~ PAGE INDEX

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