Step One : Acknowledge It
Narrate the events for younger kids
Ask older kids and tees for their perspective
Talk abou your own grief and loss
Check-in regularly
Step Two : Process It
Younger Kids :
Art - draw a picture of your feelings or the places / things / people you miss. For example, can you paint a picture of how your insides feel right now? Or
Direct play - do a skit of what school has been like
Narration - make up a story of a child going through a similar situation, then act it out with your dolls or toys
Diffusing negative emotions: do ten jumping jacks, listen to music, play a game, turn on music and dance, take deep breaths, do an art project
Older Kids :
Journaling
Write a song
Counseling / verbal processing
Reading similar stories
Ask yourself questions: what am I feeling right now? (ie. sad, lonely, rejected, uneasy, anxious, afraid) and why am I feeling this way?
Step Three : Allow Process to Cycle
Grief is not linear - it cycles.
It often looks like bad behavior - the underlying reason is the weight of this grief
Talk through the five stages of grief : Sadness, Anger, Fear, Wishing, Hoping