Children discuss grief differently and they don't always have the words to express it.
That's the message from the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network who are highlighting the many ways children can share their feelings around loss on 'Bereaved Children's Awareness Week'.
This week the Network will hold a series of online events, including a webinar run in conjunction with the Solas Centre this evening.
— Solas Centre (@SolasCentre) November 22, 2020
Bríd Carroll is Chair of the ICBN. She says that it's important for people to be aware of the supports that are there for children who are grieving.
In terms of how adults might broach the subject with children, she says they shouldn't avoid discussing the loss, but instead explain it in an age-appropriate way.
"Children need us to talk to them and I think of it in terms of a jigsaw. We give a small jigsaw to a small child and a 2,000 piece jigsaw to a bigger child.
"We explain in age-appropriate terms what has happened to them and acknowledge their feelings then and reassure them that 'together we'll get through this' and 'things will be okay in the end'."
Bríd says talk is one-way children can express their feelings, but there many other creative ways.
"Talk isn't everything with children and when talk runs out we need to change the medium. It could be painting - it could be the child painting what is going on them in terms of the story.
"And it might be of making a memory jar. You could use salt and coloured chalks and each colour that goes into the memory jar is a memory of the person who has gone."
You can find a list of this week's virtual events here:
https://www.childhoodbereavement.ie/bereaved-childrens-awareness-week/bereaved-childrens-awareness-week-2020/
To attend this evening's virtual meeting hosted by the Solas Centre, you can call (051) 304604, or email [email protected]
