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Children do not react to loss in the same ways as adults. Grieving
children may not show their feelings as openly as adults. Grieving
children may not withdraw and dwell on the person who died, but
instead may throw themselves into activities (for example, they may be
sad one minute and playful the next). Often families think the child
"doesn't really understand" or has "gotten over"
the death. Neither is true; children's minds protect them from what is
too powerful for them to handle. Children's grieving periods are
shortened because they can not think through their thoughts and
feelings like adults. Also, children have trouble putting their
feelings about grief into words. Instead, his or her behavior
"speaks" for the child. Strong feelings of anger and fears
of abandonment or death may show up in the behavior of grieving
children. Children often play death games as a way of working out
their feelings and anxieties. These games are familiar to the children
and provide safe opportunities to express their feelings.1
Much of the information on this subject was obtained from the National Cancer
Institute
Stages
of grief in children
Frequently Asked
Questions
How to
help a child with the grieving process
Links
and Resources
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