Dear Devastated ABC,
My sympathies for this sudden tragedy. The fact that your niece cried on your lap tells me me how safe and close she feels with you. Just listen and comfort them! Be prepared for questions about the after life by examining your own beliefs.
Talk to your religious leader, teachers, and others in the community about grieving groups for kids as well as your local library and their pediatrician. I suggest a concrete activity to memorialize their father, such as hunting for a special stone to put next to a tree, planting a bush or a tree, making a photo album with his photos. Most people try to avoid dealing with their feelings, it is more helpful to allow them to emerge. There are many books on this topic, my favorite is "About Dying" by Sara Bonnett Stein.
Remember that mourning takes different forms and different amounts of time.
Best of Luck,
Natalie Robinson Garfield
TheSenseConnection.wordpress.com
Homepage photo: olesiabilkei
Published: September 28, 2016
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