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Overcoming Family Hardships

Most families will inevitably experience some form of hardship at some point in time. This could be an illness, death, or temporary separation of the family. This article will mainly focus on grief, though many of these principles can be applied to other situations.

Differences by age

Children can experience grief from a young age, though their experience with it will likely vary a little based on age on their mental and emotional development. For instance, toddlers may show signs of grief through separation anxiety or changes in sleeping or bathroom schedules; young children may become more aggressive during play or experience nightmares; teens may self-isolate and withdraw (Lovering, 2022). It's also important to recognize that they may experience strong feelings of grief over things that may not seem as significant to adults, such as the loss of a pet or a friend moving away.

Breaking the news

There is no perfect time or place to reveal that something has happened or is going to happen. However, having a trusted adult whom the child is close to can help them to feel safer. The Child Mind Institute (2023) recommends taking a simple approach when breaking the news, letting the child ask questions and encouraging them to express their emotions, perhaps through some sort of memorialization, and trying to continue their normal routines the best you can.

Offering support

Once you've broken the news, it's important to continue offering support through means such as teaching coping skills. If they are struggling to express themselves verbally, Positive Psychology (2021) suggests encouraging them to draw, create a scrapbook, or write in a journal.

For more information about these topics, consider watching the following lecture: 



References

Child Mind Institue. (2023, February 23). Helping Children Cope with Grief. https://childmind.org/guide/helping-children-cope-with-grief/

Lancia, G. (2021, May 17). Helping Kids Cope With Grief: 6+ Tips to Support Children. Positive Psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/grief-for-children/

Lovering, N. (2022). How Children Process Grief and How to Help Them. PsychCentral. https://psychcentral.com/lib/children-and-grief

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