MYTH:
Children do not grieve.
Children
of all ages grieve.
The child’s development and
experiences affects the grieving
process.
MYTH:
The death of a loved one is the only major loss
children and adolescents experience.
Young
people experience a variety of losses.
These include losses of pets,
separations caused by divorce or
relocations, losses of friends and
relationships, as well as losses due to
illness or death. All of these losses
generate grief.
MYTH:
Children should be shielded from loss.
It’s
impossible to protect children from
loss.
Adults can teach ways of adapting to
loss by including young people in
the grieving process.
MYTH:
Children should not go to funerals. / Children
should always attend funerals.
Allow
young people to make their own choice.
They should decide how they wish to
participate in funerals or other
services. Adults must provide
information, options and support.
MYTH:
Children get over loss quickly.
No
one gets over significant loss.
Children, like adults, will learn to
live with the loss. They may revisit
that loss at different points in their
lives and experience grief again.
MYTH:
Children are permanently scarred by loss.
Children
are resilient.
By providing solid support and strong
consistent care, adults can help
children cope with loss.
MYTH:
Talking with children and adolescents is the
most effective approach in dealing with loss.
Different
approaches are helpful to young people.
It’s important to talk openly with
children and adolescents; it’s also
helpful to let young people use creative
approaches. Play, art, dance, music, and
ritual are all valuable modes of
expression that allow them to say what
words cannot.
MYTH:
Helping children and adolescents deal with loss
is the family’s responsibility.
Other
individuals and organizations can share
this responsibility.
Hospices, schools, and faith communities
can all offer necessary support.
