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seminar on helping children with grief set for Sunday at Grangeville
Children and teens grieve differently than adults. They often lack the developmental components they need to handle big chunks of grief like adults, but they still experience grief, including sadness, anger, guilt and anxiety. They may show poor performance in school--or increased performance. They may withdraw, act out, or even act as if everything is OK. Disruptions of sleeping and eating habits are common. When children and young adults lose a parent, a sibling, another close family member, or close friend, they need support in their grief. Depending on the situation, their parents may be grieving too, and need help from others to come alongside and support them. Grieving kids can feel neglected, and even resentful or defiant. They may become depressed, turn to alcohol or drugs to cope, or even consider suicide. Through its ongoing GriefShare grief recovery program, Trinity Lutheran Church in Grangeville is offering a FREE video seminar for adults who are reaching out to help a child or teen who has lost someone close to them. The video features national experts on grief in children and young adults, and interviews with parents who have helped their own children deal with grief. The experts discuss common responses and needs of kids of various ages, including toddlers, pre-school, ages 6-9, and middle and high school youth. They discuss ways to help, mistakes to avoid, and practical suggestions for reaching out to kids as they process their grief. A short video on the loss of a close friend also will be shown. The videos will be followed by a brief discussion for those who wish to participate, and free handouts and other information will be available. Refreshments will be provided. The free seminar is this Sunday, July 28, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at Trinity Lutheran Church, 210 N. Mill Street in Grangeville (across from Blackmer Funeral Home). Anyone is welcome to attend. For more information, call Lorraine Roach at 208-660-1818, or Jenneane Musegades at 208-451-6236. |
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