Child/Youth Grief
Below are grief-support resources for school staff, parents, and others
who care for children and youth who sorrow.
who care for children and youth who sorrow.
Websites
Coalition to Support Grieving Students
https://grievingstudents.org/
This is simply the best, most informative, and well-researched site available for grief-support resources for school staff.
This is simply the best, most informative, and well-researched site available for grief-support resources for school staff.
National Alliance for Grieving Children
https://childrengrieve.org/
The National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC) is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about the needs of children and teens who are grieving a death and provides education and resources for anyone who supports them.
The National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC) is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about the needs of children and teens who are grieving a death and provides education and resources for anyone who supports them.
National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement
https://www.schoolcrisiscenter.org/
Dedicated to helping schools support their students through crisis and loss.
An amazing compendium of downloadable resources
Dedicated to helping schools support their students through crisis and loss.
An amazing compendium of downloadable resources
Canadian Virtual Hospice
http://kidsgrief.ca/
KidsGrief.ca is a free online resource that helps parents support their children when someone in their life is dying or has died. It equips parents with the words and confidence needed to help children grieve life’s losses in healthy ways.
KidsGrief.ca is a free online resource that helps parents support their children when someone in their life is dying or has died. It equips parents with the words and confidence needed to help children grieve life’s losses in healthy ways.
Our House Grief Support Center
www.ourhouse-grief.org/grief-pages/
This grief support resource section includes a collection of “Grief Pages” – downloadable PDF grief support resources with information created for all types of grievers, including children, teens and adults.
This grief support resource section includes a collection of “Grief Pages” – downloadable PDF grief support resources with information created for all types of grievers, including children, teens and adults.
Sage Centre and Rosedale Hospice
https://www.hospicecalgary.ca/grief-groups
An excellent compendium of online resource links for child/youth grief support.
An excellent compendium of online resource links for child/youth grief support.
Books: Children's Grief
Something Very Sad Happened: A Toddler's Guide to Understanding Death
Amazon Description
Available in HSCD Library
Available in HSCD Library
Leaf
Available in the HSCD library
Water Bugs and Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children
Amazon description
Available in HSCD library
Available in HSCD library
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages
Amazon description
Available in HSCD library
Available in HSCD library
Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children
Amazon description
Available in HSCD library
Available in HSCD library
Books: Teen/Young Adult Grief
The Grieving Teen: A Guide for Teenagers and Their Friends
Amazon Description
Available in HSCD Library
Available in HSCD Library
When a Friend Dies: A Book for Teens About Grieving & Healing
Amazon Description
Available in HSCD Library
Available in HSCD Library
Books: Teacher/Caregiver Resources
Healing a Teen's Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas for Families, Friends and Caregivers
Amazon description
Available in HSCD library
Available in HSCD library
A Child's View of Grief: A Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Counselors
Amazon description
Available in HSCD library
Available in HSCD library
Mourning Child Grief Support Group Curriculum: Middle Childhood Edition: Grades 3-6
Amazon description
Available in HSCD library
Available in HSCD library
Companioning the Grieving Child: A Soulful Guide for Caregivers
Amazon description
Available in HSCD library
Available in HSCD library
When Death Impacts Your School: A Guide for School Administrators
Amazon Description
Available in HSCD library
Available in HSCD library
Grief workbook for children and teens coping with loss, distance learning
An excellent resource that may be purchased and downloaded at:
Teachers Pay Teachers
Grief does not stop at the school doors, and you can help children and teens cope with grief, death and loss with this fifty page culturally sensitive grief workbook. The grief activities and exercises explore concepts of grief, as well as a student’s belief system, thoughts, feelings, memories, and self-care. Although grief is universal, all grief responses are unique to individuals. This grief resource can be reflective of that as it can be a “make your own” workbook by choosing desired pages, or reprinting activities as needed since thoughts and emotions change. This resource also includes access to a digital version of the workbook for use with Google Slides™ and Google Classroom.
This grief workbook encourages student reflection, and provides multiple opportunities for discussion to explore student perspective on their unique grief experiences. It’s an easy-to-use format for individual grief counseling or grief groups. Young elementary children through teenagers will find this workbook helpful, with adult support as needed. Helping kids and teens cope with grief and loss will benefit them for a lifetime!
This resource includes both color and black/white versions as well as a digital version for your convenience.
Teachers Pay Teachers
Grief does not stop at the school doors, and you can help children and teens cope with grief, death and loss with this fifty page culturally sensitive grief workbook. The grief activities and exercises explore concepts of grief, as well as a student’s belief system, thoughts, feelings, memories, and self-care. Although grief is universal, all grief responses are unique to individuals. This grief resource can be reflective of that as it can be a “make your own” workbook by choosing desired pages, or reprinting activities as needed since thoughts and emotions change. This resource also includes access to a digital version of the workbook for use with Google Slides™ and Google Classroom.
This grief workbook encourages student reflection, and provides multiple opportunities for discussion to explore student perspective on their unique grief experiences. It’s an easy-to-use format for individual grief counseling or grief groups. Young elementary children through teenagers will find this workbook helpful, with adult support as needed. Helping kids and teens cope with grief and loss will benefit them for a lifetime!
This resource includes both color and black/white versions as well as a digital version for your convenience.
Articles
The documents below belong to the copyright holders. Accessing the links provided does not imply permission to copy or distribute.
Harvard Child Bereavement Study
PDF
While the instinct is to overprotect, our children are natural mourners. They need a “significant adult” who brings sensitivity, honesty, a sense of inclusion and compassion, and allows children to be their own experts. We can’t take away or “fix” our children’s pain, anger, or fear; but we can support them through their grief process.
Teen Grief Curriculum
PDF
This curriculum is presented as a work manual for the counselor facilitating adolescent grief groups in a school setting. It is a compilation of activities and handouts that are meant to be used, copied, added to or discarded according to the preferences of the user.
Most simply it is a sample eight-week teen grief group with suggestions for organization of each group meeting. There are introductory sections on setting up and running a group followed by the eight-week curriculum completed by the appendices of activities and handouts.
(c)2000 -2010 Scott Johnson, MA. All Rights Reserved.
Most simply it is a sample eight-week teen grief group with suggestions for organization of each group meeting. There are introductory sections on setting up and running a group followed by the eight-week curriculum completed by the appendices of activities and handouts.
(c)2000 -2010 Scott Johnson, MA. All Rights Reserved.
The Impact of Bereavement and Loss on Young People
PDF
A wide-ranging review of the literature on the implications of bereavement for young people's lives.
Many young people have experienced the death of someone close to them – but do we understand the implications of bereavement for young people’s lives? In this study, the authors argue that bereavement is in fact a general – if difficult – part of growing up, and should be recognized as such. For some young people, a major loss may be a source of very significant disruption to their lives.
Many young people have experienced the death of someone close to them – but do we understand the implications of bereavement for young people’s lives? In this study, the authors argue that bereavement is in fact a general – if difficult – part of growing up, and should be recognized as such. For some young people, a major loss may be a source of very significant disruption to their lives.
Download "The impact of bereavement and loss on young people.pdf"
When Students are Dying:
Providing Support in Educational Environments
PDF
What do you do when:
- Student's family member dies?
- Your student with multiple disabilities dies and classmates ask questions?
- Student has a terminal illness?
- You are
Kids Care:
Teacher Resource Package
PDF
A classroom resource for exploring issues of loss and grief in children and families
Created by the Ontario Family Studies Leadership Council
in partnership with Sky Works Charitable Foundation
Created by the Ontario Family Studies Leadership Council
in partnership with Sky Works Charitable Foundation
General Tips to Support Students of All Ages
PDF
A variety of tools to employ in support of students in the face of a student or teacher death.
Grief at Different Ages and Stages
PDF
Concepts of Death by Age Group
PDF
The concept of death from a child’s perspective is very different from
an adult’s understanding of death. Furthermore, as the child grows and
matures, his/her earlier ways of thinking about death will change. It is
essential for the adult to have a sense of how children conceptualize
death at different ages so that when the time comes to talk about death,
whether of a pet or a loved one, the adult can respond in a manner
appropriate to the child’s developmental age.
an adult’s understanding of death. Furthermore, as the child grows and
matures, his/her earlier ways of thinking about death will change. It is
essential for the adult to have a sense of how children conceptualize
death at different ages so that when the time comes to talk about death,
whether of a pet or a loved one, the adult can respond in a manner
appropriate to the child’s developmental age.
How Children Grieve:
Persistent Myths
PDF
It seems both an obvious and unassailable fact that children will suffer, sometimes acutely, from the loss of important figures in their lives; yet it wasn't long ago that such profound sorrow wasn't widely acknowledged. It wasn't until Freud—not Sigmund, but his daughter Anna—shed light on childhood grief that the subject captured the attention and validation of researchers.