When Children Grieve: For Adults to Help Children Deal with Death, Divorce, Pet Loss, Moving, and Other Losses

"Once in a generation, a book comes along that alters the way society views a topic. When Children Grieve is an essential primer for parents and others who interact with children on a regular basis." — Bernard McGrane, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, Chapman University and U.C. Irvine

The first—and definitive—guide to helping children really deal with loss from the authors of the The Grief Recovery Handbook

Following deaths, divorces, pet loss, or the confusion of major relocation, many adults—in an effort to provide emotional support for kids—tell their children “don’t feel bad.” In fact, say the authors of the bestselling The Grief Recovery Handbook, feeling bad or sad is precisely the appropriate emotion attached to sad events. Encouraging a child to bypass grief without completion can cause unseen long-term damage.

When Children Grieve, an essential parenting guide for grief, helps parents break through the misinformation that surrounds the topic of grief. It pinpoints the six major myths that hamper children in adapting to life’s inevitable losses. Practical and compassionate, it guides parents in creating emotional safety and spells out specific actions to help children move forward successfully.

This landmark book provides the concrete actions and compassionate guidance every adult needs to help a child navigate the pain of loss.

• The Six Myths of Grief: Learn why common advice like ‘don’t feel bad’ or ‘be strong’ can cause long-term harm and what to say instead.
• Child Grief and Bereavement: Understand the unique way children process loss―from the death of a grandparent to divorce or a major move―and how to create emotional safety for them.
• Coping with Pet Loss: Discover specific, compassionate actions to help a child say goodbye to a beloved pet, one of their first and most profound experiences with grief.
• Actionable Steps for Healing: Move beyond theory with a step-by-step method for helping your child complete their relationship to the pain and find a path forward.

John W. James and Russell Friedman have been working with grievers for more than thirty years. They have served as consultants to thousands of bereavement professionals and provide Grief Recovery^® Seminars and Certification Programs throughout the United States and Canada. They are the founders of the Grief Recovery Institute^®.