Click on the above image to watch "Grief through a Child's Eyes" an original video that takes you inside a children's bereavement camp.
Dying 6-year-old leaves thank-you note for parents.
"Amber Shoemake and her husband Tim came home from the hospital to pick out burial clothes for their 6-year-old son.
That’s when the grieving parents found a handwritten note from Leland on the living room table – and immediately burst into tears.
“We were shocked. We broke down and cried for a long time. We have no idea when he wrote it,” Shoemake told the Star in messages sent on Facebook.
“Still with you. Thank you mom + dad. Love,” read Leland’s note, written in red marker and shared by the family on Facebook. He also coloured in a red heart with the words “Mom dad Love” written inside. The note’s last line appears to read “Good bye,” but Shoemake said she believed her son wrote “Good day.”
'I cried hysterically. He was so awesome in life and this family revolved around him and here he was still caring for us even after he’s gone,' said Shoemake"
48 Questions to Ask Your Kids.
The Heart and the Bottle: A Tender Illustrated Fable of What Happens When We Deny Our Difficult Emotions.
"Jeffers tells the story of a little girl, “much like any other,” whose expansive and exuberant curiosity her father fuels by reading to her all sorts of fascinating books about the sea and the stars and the wonders of our world.
We witness the duo’s blissful explorations until, one day, we realize that the father is gone — the little girl finds herself facing the empty chair.
With exquisite subtlety and economy of words, Jeffers — whose mastery of the interplay between darkness and light extends as much to the paintbrush as it does to the psyche — silently uncorks the outpour of hollowing emotions engendered by loss".
Books for Kids (of All Ages) Coping With Anxiety.
"Working through your fears by reading other people’s experiences with them is free therapy that leaves you feeling less isolated. In addition to composite interviews on various topics, from bullying to performing poorly on a test to fleeing a war-torn country, the editor also provides extensive practical resources".
Talking to young children about death Death. It’s a tough topic for grown-ups, let alone kids. How should we talk about it with them?
"Death. It’s a tough topic for grown-ups, let alone kids. When you become a parent, you expound upon every aspect of parenting with your family and friends until you’re blue in the face. How many long and drawn-out conversations have I had about breastfeeding, crying it out, and kindergarten curriculums?
But death? Hardly at all.
“I think our society in general does not want to talk about death and doesn’t want to deal with the messiness of grief,” said Emily Long, a licensed counselor and author of Sensitive Conversations: Talking with Kids About Death, Grief, and Violence . “So it is something that does get avoided a lot with kids — and in general.”
But kids, the most curious of creatures, won’t let you avoid it for long."
Read on about What to say - and not to say....
The Science of Resilience: Why Some Children Can Thrive Despite Adversity.
"When confronted with the fallout of childhood trauma, why do some children adapt and overcome, while others bear lifelong scars that flatten their potential? A growing body of evidence points to one common answer: Every child who winds up doing well has had at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive adult".