Insights from Elizabeth Fraley Education on Handling grief with Children
Grief is one of the most complex feelings for a child to confront. From the loss of a loved one or a pet to even simply adjusting to something big like moving to a new home, children sometimes have difficulty putting a name to what they're feeling. However, children, unlike adults, often lack the words for sadness and the ability to ask for comfort, which is wisely and gently dispensed. This is where the thoughtful approaches highlighted in Elizabeth Fraley Education can make a real difference for parents and caregivers.
Talking About Grief with Honesty
Children are perceptive and often notice when something is wrong, even if adults try to protect them from the truth. Avoiding the subject can leave them feeling confused or alone. Providing them with age-appropriate language can explain that their emotions are completely valid. Elizabeth Fraley's assessments highlight that children process grief differently from adults. Understanding this factor enables families to provide the appropriate level of explanation and support.
Encouraging Emotional Expression
It's totally fine if children don't always show their emotions openly. Some kids might show sadness by drawing or acting differently, and that is okay. Providing them with ways to express themselves openly helps them release their feelings safely without feeling timid. Elizabeth Fraley's Education emphasizes that expressing emotions is just as important as academic achievement. When parents make their homes a safe space where they respect their children's feelings, it helps them feel comfy, loved, and accepted for who they are.
Maintaining Routines for Stability
In times of grief, routines offer children a sense of stability and consistency. Providing a foundation for practices such as establishing a bedtime routine. Where Parents can narrate a story to them, or by sharing meals, discuss their daily activities, or recount their school experiences, which can help foster a sense of security and stability. Doing these things makes them feel that you care about them; their emotions feel heard, rather than being harbored.
As Elizabeth Fraley's assessments highlight, this structure supports both academic progress and emotional well-being, making routines crucial for healing.
Remembering and Honoring
Being a part of such a ritual that honors what they have lost can help children cope in meaningful ways. For example, if a child loses his pet, parents can create a memory book consisting of happy moments spent with his pet. If the loss is of a family member, a ritual could involve creating a family tree or a photo collage. Or by writing letters, or helping them to plant flowers. These all allow grief to be remembered, but not as a painful memory. Elizabeth Fraley Education encourages families to tap into these beautiful moments. These all transform difficult emotions into opportunities for connection and healing.
Offering Long-Term Support
Children don't easily move on from grief; they are growing and developing as a child and will understand what they lost next step deeper, and their feelings may be expressed in different ways. Parents can support their children through grief simply by engaging in conversations and looking for signs of expressing their emotions. Elizabeth Fraley's assessments also provide tools for families to help them recognize how grief will shift and develop over time. And they also help to ease the transition of shifting supports. A child can become resilient and develop healthy coping mechanisms for other parts of their lives through patient and supported grieving - one day they will feel comfortable to show their grief.
Final Thoughts
Supporting a child through grief takes honesty, empathy, time and continual consistency. Families can ease some of this process by having open conversations, supporting self-expression, help maintain routine and celebrate memories. With the support of Elizabeth Fraley Education, and the main lessons of the Elizabeth Fraley Assessments parents can support their child with some tools and helpful support factors to help children deal with loss and adversity.
For further details on Kinder Ready's programs, visit their website:
https://www.kinderready.com/.
Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@ElizabethFraleyKinderReady
Insights from Elizabeth Fraley Education on Handling grief with Children
Grief is one of the most complex feelings for a child to confront. From the loss of a loved one or a pet to even simply adjusting to something big like moving to a new home, children sometimes have difficulty putting a name to what they're feeling. However, children, unlike adults, often lack the words for sadness and the ability to ask for comfort, which is wisely and gently dispensed. This is where the thoughtful approaches highlighted in Elizabeth Fraley Education can make a real difference for parents and caregivers.
Talking About Grief with Honesty
Children are perceptive and often notice when something is wrong, even if adults try to protect them from the truth. Avoiding the subject can leave them feeling confused or alone. Providing them with age-appropriate language can explain that their emotions are completely valid. Elizabeth Fraley's assessments highlight that children process grief differently from adults. Understanding this factor enables families to provide the appropriate level of explanation and support.
Encouraging Emotional Expression
It's totally fine if children don't always show their emotions openly. Some kids might show sadness by drawing or acting differently, and that is okay. Providing them with ways to express themselves openly helps them release their feelings safely without feeling timid. Elizabeth Fraley's Education emphasizes that expressing emotions is just as important as academic achievement. When parents make their homes a safe space where they respect their children's feelings, it helps them feel comfy, loved, and accepted for who they are.
Maintaining Routines for Stability
In times of grief, routines offer children a sense of stability and consistency. Providing a foundation for practices such as establishing a bedtime routine. Where Parents can narrate a story to them, or by sharing meals, discuss their daily activities, or recount their school experiences, which can help foster a sense of security and stability. Doing these things makes them feel that you care about them; their emotions feel heard, rather than being harbored.
As Elizabeth Fraley's assessments highlight, this structure supports both academic progress and emotional well-being, making routines crucial for healing.
Remembering and Honoring
Being a part of such a ritual that honors what they have lost can help children cope in meaningful ways. For example, if a child loses his pet, parents can create a memory book consisting of happy moments spent with his pet. If the loss is of a family member, a ritual could involve creating a family tree or a photo collage. Or by writing letters, or helping them to plant flowers. These all allow grief to be remembered, but not as a painful memory. Elizabeth Fraley Education encourages families to tap into these beautiful moments. These all transform difficult emotions into opportunities for connection and healing.
Offering Long-Term Support
Children don't easily move on from grief; they are growing and developing as a child and will understand what they lost next step deeper, and their feelings may be expressed in different ways. Parents can support their children through grief simply by engaging in conversations and looking for signs of expressing their emotions. Elizabeth Fraley's assessments also provide tools for families to help them recognize how grief will shift and develop over time. And they also help to ease the transition of shifting supports. A child can become resilient and develop healthy coping mechanisms for other parts of their lives through patient and supported grieving - one day they will feel comfortable to show their grief.
Final Thoughts
Supporting a child through grief takes honesty, empathy, time and continual consistency. Families can ease some of this process by having open conversations, supporting self-expression, help maintain routine and celebrate memories. With the support of Elizabeth Fraley Education, and the main lessons of the Elizabeth Fraley Assessments parents can support their child with some tools and helpful support factors to help children deal with loss and adversity.
For further details on Kinder Ready's programs, visit their website: https://www.kinderready.com/.
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ElizabethFraleyKinderReady
