Common reactions to the loss of a significant loved one  may be that the child becomes unsettled and insecure. This can lead to the child not eating or sleeping and becoming clingy.

Very young children can be affected by the impact of the parent’s or carer’s emotional availability and how this affects their ability to respond to the child’s needs, so it is very important that parents and carers are able to be supported with regards to their own loss and grief issues.

Common reactions of children who are bereaved

Babies

Babies may be more fretful and unsettled, so continuation of established routines will help them to feel secure along with secure, safe care from significant adults.

Pre-School Children

Toddlers and pre-school children are unable to understand the permanence of death and may continue to ask when the deceased person is coming bac or why they have disappeared. They may be difficult for the parent or carer.

The child may search for the person who has dies, and appear to have forgotten that you have told them that the person is dead. They will not understand why significant adults are behaving differently.

Children of this age can be involved in magical thinking – they may believe that it is, or has been something that they have done or said which has caused the loss and need reassurance that this is not the case. They may also believe the person will come back if they do certain things and again need reassurance about this.

Behaviour can often regress to an earlier stage of development and come common reactions may be:

  • Reverting to baby talk
  • Regression in toilet training
  • Inability to get to sleep and nightmares
  • Seeking constant reassurance and clinginess.

Primary School Aged Children

Children in this age group gradually develop an understanding that death is final. They move from magical thinking to a more concrete thinking stage, where they begin to understand that death does mean that the person is not coming back. They can flit between different stages and this can prove scary and confusing for them.

Depending on their age, they may still struggle with understanding changes in the behaviour of significant adults around them.

Sometimes a child’s play can become aggressive and he or she can seem to be preoccupied with death. Children may become fearful that the adult who is caring for them will also leave, and this can lead them seek higher levels or reassurance. Anxiety about another loved one disappearing from their lives is not unusual and this can lead to greater fear about separation around normal activities such as going to school.

In the weeks or months following the loss, the child’s behaviour can commonly include:

  • Sleep disturbance
  • Eating problems – overeating or loss of appetite
  • Fear of the dark
  • Angry or aggressive play
  • Regression to an earlier developmental stage
  • Difficulties with concentration at school
  • Sore tummies and limbs
  • Lethargy

Some suggestions of what the parent or carer can do to help

  • Try to keep the child in a routine and to remember that, if the child is regressing, then this is a normal reaction and with reassurance and security they will recover.
  • Remember that young children, like adults will go in and out of grief. Some days when they appear to have “moved on” and then the grieving behaviour reappears.
  • Return the child to school as soon as it is practical. School can provide routine and support that can assist children. Speak to the teacher so that the school know what has happened. It is important that there is an understanding of this for the school to be able to respond appropriately to the child and support them.
  • Provide a security item such as a cosy blanket or familiar cuddly toy. This can provide comfort and a feeling of security for the child.
  • Use a night light for reassurance and keep bedtime to a routine. Warm milk and a bedtime story can help. If the child is experiencing nightmares then reassure them and encourage them to tell you about the dream.
  • Be prepared for unusual and recurring questions. Try to answer honestly as children are quick to know when something they are told is not right.
  • Allow a child to act out their confusion or anger. While for adults it can be upsetting to observe a child playing ‘death’ or appear to be acting aggressively with their toys, this can assist a child to process the information ad begin to make sense of it. Often children will replay the same game over and over.
  • Talk to your child or encourage them to talk about the person who has died. Looking at photos or DVD’s and remembering happier times reminds the child that memories are still special and that these have not been lost.
  • Help the child build a memory box, gathering special items which hold memories of the deceased person and their relationship to them.
  • Help the child say goodbye to the deceased person in a way that is meaningful to them. Writing a message to put in a special place eg star and angel tree hangers , lighting a candle, planting a special tree or flowers, going to a special place together can all be helpful.
  • Don’t stop crying in front of the child: reassure them that it is ok to show emotion and that it is your time to be sad. Reassure the child that, while it is ok to cry, it is also alright to laugh and be happy.
  • Sometimes children will talk about ‘seeing’ the person who has died and ghosts can become a topic of interest. If the child says they have see the deceased person, don’t dismiss it, but reassure them that they will always remember the person in different ways.
  • Include the child in arrangements and special anniversaries and encourage them to express their views about how they would lie to remember the deceased person.
  • Sometimes a child may want to keep an item of clothing of the person who has died or some perfume, or aftershave. Smell is an important sense and the reminder of the smell can provide children with comfort.
  • Whilst the pace of grief will be unique for each child, remember that the impact of bereavement will have affected them in some way. Initially the child may show no reaction at all and it may come weeks or months after the death. The timing for the process of grieving cannot be pressured or predicted and children need time, space and the opportunity to consider what has happened, the impact of this upon them and their feelings. Reassuracenand encouragement to remember the deceased person in a way that they wish to, and that is helpful to them, is important.

One of the most difficult tasks for parents or carers can be to not get stressed and this can be particularly difficult when they are grieving themselves. Try to find peaceful and relaxed time in the day to sit with the child, to read play, interact, share news and just be together.

If, as a parent or carer, you feel unable to respond to the child as you would want to due to your own grief, then arrange for a close friend or relative who knows the child to spend time each day with them. Don’t feel guilty about this, you too need support and time to grieve.

When You May Need To Seek Professional Help

In some circumstances children may be traumatised by the death. This may be due to the nature of the death or the child being a witness to the death, or a survivor of the event that led to the death.

If the death was caused by murder, the child is likely to experience a traumatic response. There may also be the added complexity of media involvement. In these circumstances, it may help the child to have the opportunity to have some external support.

If the child was involved in the death, for example surviving an event that led to the death of others, it is likely that they will have a traumatic response. They may benefit from having external professional support to address their individual needs.

Loss through suicide can be particularly complicated, leading to a heightened sense of guilt and uncertainty. In such circumstances the opportunity for the child to have professional support and reassurance would be helpful.

Traumatic responses are normal responses to an abnormal event. Trauma can increase the normal emotional response and lead to overwhelming feelings of distress. It is important to remember that, with support, children do recover from trauma and go on to lead healthy and successful lives.

Where To Seek Professional Support

Arranging an appointment with a GP can be the trigger for a referral to an appropriate agency. The wait for an appointment to see a specialised service may take time and it’s important you seek advice on how best to manage the young person’s circumstances.

Counselling

Some child and young people’s Counselling services are available in Grampian. These are specialised services and there can be a waiting list. Organisations such as CRUSE Bereavement Care Scotland, CLAN, ACIS Youth (Aberdeen Counselling and Information Service) accept direct referrals from families:

 

ACIS Youth:

Website – http://www.mha.uk.net

Childline

Childline offer a 24 hour confidential counselling service and will not pass on information  to a child’s parent or carer as they operate a code of confidentiality. In addition, they provide a page for bereaved children and young people on their website which gives them the opportunity to access support, share and post messages.

Seasons For Growth

Some schools in the grampian area organise and facilitate a group for bereaved children, using the seasons for growth model.

Further Information

There is more information on a number of websites, which you may find helpful. These include:

www.winstonswish.org.uk

www.cruse.org.uk

www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk