Helping Children and Adolescents Think about Death, Dying and Bereavement

How can children begin to understand death and cope with bereavement? And how can we, as adults, support and engage with children as they encounter this complex subject?

Exploring how children and adolescents can engage with all aspects of death, dying and bereavement, this comprehensive guide looks at how children comprehend the death of a pet or someone close to them, their own dying, bereavement and grieving. It covers how you should discuss death with children, with a particular emphasis on the importance of listening to the child and adapting your approach based on their responses.

The book offers guidance on how your own experiences of loss can provide you with models for your interactions with children on the subject of death.

Table of Contents

Introduction.

1. What is Death?.
2. Grief and Bereavement.
3. Challenging Factors Influencing Grief.
4. What Should We Tell Children and Adolescents?.
5. Schools Coping with Bereavement and Death.
6. Funerals: The Attendance and Participation of the Child or Adolescent.
7. Continuing Care of the Child and Adolescent.
8. Care of the Carers Including Ourselves.
9. Weaving the Threads Together.

Appendices

Further Reading

"Helping Children and Adolescents Think About Death, Dying and Bereavement is a comprehensive resource that addresses how young people feel and think about death and includes practical suggestions on how to include them when a pet or person dies in their life. Marian Carter has shared excellent examples about children and has created a useful 'spiral curriculum' to aid the reader in understanding a situation more deeply. She also includes intervention that schools can use to help kids cope with bereavement. I would recommend this book highly for parents and professionals working with grieving children."
- Linda Goldman, author of 'Great Answers to Difficult Questions About Death: What Children Need to Know'