Helping Your Child Cope With Change and Loss

“Sugar-coating” or telling half-truths will only postpone pain and undermine the trust your child has in you. If the family pet were to die, don’t say something like, “The dog went to sleep forever.” Be honest, and don’t delay the news for weeks.

Also, don’t offer false comfort. For example, if you and your partner have separated, don’t say something like, “Dad might be moving out for now.” Be concrete and say, “Dad is moving out.”

Being open and honest will help your child understand what’s really happening so they can begin to process and heal. This approach applies to children of all ages. For younger kids, simplify the language to help them understand.

When a big life change or loss happens:

• Let your child feel what they feel for as long as they need to. There is no time frame for grief. Be as supportive, patient and accepting as you can be.
• Listen and answer questions without judgment. If an appropriate answer doesn’t come easily to you, it’s OK to tell your child you will think about it and respond later.
• Don’t try to fix things. Of course, seeing your child struggle emotionally is uncomfortable for you. But Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Strong4Life licensed therapist Jody Baumstein, LCSW, says, “Trying to move the feelings along faster by saying, ‘It’s OK,’ or ‘It was meant to be,’ minimizes your child’s pain and tells them it’s no longer OK to feel this way. It’s best to see your child’s pain, tend to it and allow it to be. If you try to shut it off, it will come out in other ways. Also, your child is not going to talk to you about it anymore if they feel shame that they are still hurting.”

A loss or major change can affect the whole family. It’s OK to show your emotions in front of your children. It’s OK to cry and talk about it. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that parents should try to contain their emotions as best they can. The goal is to keep your child from feeling like they need to take care of you.

After a change or loss, try to keep life at home as predictable and as “normal” as you can. Baumstein says, “Keeping a consistent family dinner and bedtime routine can create a great sense of comfort because they’re still happening, even after the loss or change.”

Helping your child gain a sense of control over their own day-to-day life can also help. During a chaotic time, help your child by offering choices in other parts of his life. For example, if you’ve moved to a new neighborhood, your child may be feeling sad about losing old friends and routines. Consider letting them pick a sport or extracurricular activity in the new area.

Every child responds to change and loss a bit differently. Some kids act out angrily, while others may regress to acting much younger. These are normal behaviors that are a child’s way of communicating what they don’t have words for or when they don’t even fully understand what they are feeling. Again, be patient and supportive; these new behaviors are often symptoms of pain and part of the normal healing process.

Learning effective ways of communicating about—and coping with—change and loss is a great way to build resilience (the ability to handle life’s ups and downs).

If your child’s reactions or behavior become more than you feel you can handle alone, speak to your child’s pediatrician about treatment options.