Currently browsing posts found in April2008
When a teacher does something to acknowledge the death of a classmate, the students feel they have permission to do the same. Children need to express their grief openly—so encourage them in ways that are not disruptive to the class or damaging to other students. Acknowledge the reality that grief hurts, but do not attempt […]
Posted at: April 6th, 2008 - 7:22 am - Number of Comments » 0
When a student (or a brother or sister of a student) dies, children can have many different reactions: anxiety, fear, aggressiveness, anger, panic, guilt, regression, withdrawal, and symptoms of bodily distress. And often children will bottle up their emotions around adults and attempt to deny their feelings of anger, hurt, and fear by repressing them. […]
Posted at: April 4th, 2008 - 5:56 am - Number of Comments » 0
Over the Spring Break my children experienced the loss of a schoolmate—the little boy who fell in the river. Upon returning to their elementary school (in B.C. that means kindergarten through grade 7), there were counselors present for any students and staff wishing to talk about what that little boy’s two siblings (who also attend […]
Posted at: April 3rd, 2008 - 6:02 am - Number of Comments » 0
Don’t think of them as gone away— their journey’s just begun; life holds so many facets— this earth is only one. Just think of them as resting from the sorrows and the tears in a place of warmth and comfort where there are no days or years. Think how they must be wishing that we […]
Posted at: April 2nd, 2008 - 6:45 am - Number of Comments » 0
You are helping someone accept the reality of a death when you encourage him/her to see the body of his/her beloved. Yes, viewing and touching a body is the best way for a grieving person to overcome feelings of denial about a death. If you don’t know what to say, here is a suggestion: “I […]
Posted at: April 1st, 2008 - 6:09 am - Number of Comments » 0