A Child's View of Grief

by Alan D. Wolfelt

Parents, teachers, and other adults can learn through this concise and caring guide to how children and adolescents grieve after someone they love dies. Exploring the six reconciliation needs of mourning, this helpful resource recognizes that grieving children are especially deserving of an emotional environment of love and acceptance. Including a historical perspective on children and death, this handbook helps adults recognize the importance of empathy toward a grieving child, and provides guidelines for involving children in funeral services. These suggestions can help anyone who wants to help young people better cope with grief so that they can go on to become emotionally healthy adults themselves.

Genres: Grief, Psychology

45 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1991

Reviews

[Camiron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like how clear this book is and the authour's recommendations on how to talk to kids who witness death. Not talking around it but about it, explaining what happens in death and why, explaining what happens at the funeral, and how kids will teach us what they're experiencing if we listen closely. Letting them in on the information we have. I also liked, "... view grief not as an enemy to be overcome, but as a necessary consequence of having loved". Grief and mourning are a part of life and human connection. Also about language, it talked a lot about adult language and how we can encourage kids to feel and talk about how they're feeling instead of just 'keep your chin up' etc. Great little intro book.

[Carla Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent reference guide

[Karen Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short book provides a brief guide for adults seeking to help grieving children. There was nothing new in it for me since I lived the experience and was lucky enough to have a mother who guided me through it with sensitivity and excellent support, but it was good to go over as I prepare to volunteer with bereaved children. I liked the author's view that rather than prescribe one way that children should experience grief, adults need to allow children to be the teachers.

[Danielle McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives great practical step advice for helping children through grief. There is a huge need to educate adults in allowing children to grieve in their time and way. I am so thankful to have been given this suggestion from a librarian.

[Julia McBride · Rating 3 out of 5]

Offers some helpful insights into how a grieving child handles loss and how adults in their life can support them through a process of reconciliation.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy quick read with good guidance on how to engage with children on death and grieving when they've lost someone close to you.

[MKF · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know a lot of people who need to read this book! This is a quick book on children's grief and the best way to handle it and help them.

[Rebecca KB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short guide to dealing with a child’s grief, probably best in the early stages of grief. Having said that, it is a good reminder of how a child’s grief differs from an adults.