Grieving for Our Young Child (2-10)

One of a series of leaflets published by The Compassionate Friends beforehand. In almost every household, there are times of minor conflict and disagreement. These could now give rise to complex feelings and even self-blame. This underlines the importance of our children getting support as they grieve. Talking openly about their sibling and remembering them through activities such as putting up photos or making a memory box can all be important for this process. If our remaining children are of school age, we will need to inform the school of what has happened. If possible, it will be helpful to talk with their teacher or another staff member about their return to school. It is likely that their schoolwork or behaviour will be affected by the death of their sibling, and even if this is not the case, they will need extra support and understanding within the school environment. For information about how children may react to bereavement, depending on their age and developmental stage, see: www.cruse.org.uk/Children/children-understanding-death Our child’s friends and playmates If our children went to a playgroup, preschool or primary school, they will have most likely had friends and playmates. We may have also formed friendships with their parents. We probably know who is in the circle of friends of our young child of toddler or preschool age. This might not always be the case for our primary school age child, particularly in the last years of primary school where they are on the cusp of adolescence. They may also have other friends on social media. Depending on the circumstances and age of our child, we may want to consider reaching out to the parents of these children to let them know what has happened. It will be up to them to decide how to explain about our child’s death to their own children.