Book
When Children Grieve
For Adults to Help Children Deal with Death, Divorce, Pet Loss, Moving, and Other Losses
By John W. James, Russell Friedman, and Dr. Leslie Landon Matthews
About This Book
This isn’t a book to give to children — it’s designed to help the adults in their lives better assist them in dealing with any type of loss. Dr. Leslie Landon Matthews, a psychologist who focuses on children and grief, joined James and Friedman in authoring this book. She was profoundly impacted by the death of her father, actor Michael Landon, and has found success using the Grief Recovery Method in her own life and practice. Rather than speaking about children’s needs on a general level, the book addresses working with them based on their level of development — how a toddler responds to loss is far different than an adolescent or teenager. It reminds parents that grievers of any age need to be allowed to express their emotional pain without analysis, criticism, or judgment, and offers practical tools for beginning these conversations. Often, in helping their children deal with loss, parents also discover that they need to take recovery action for themselves.
Who This Book Is For
Parents, guardians, caregivers, teachers, school counselors, and anyone who works with or cares for grieving children. Also essential for specialists running Helping Children with Loss programs.
What You’ll Learn
- Age-appropriate communication strategies (toddlers vs. adolescents vs. teenagers)
- Identifying loss issues in children that often go unnoticed
- Creating a safe, loving environment for children to express grief
- Practical exercises and actions — not just theory
- Why children respond ‘nothing’ when asked what’s wrong, and what to do instead
- How helping your child grieve often reveals your own unfinished grief
