Resources

Supporting Children in Grief: Early Childhood

How to support children 0 to 5 years of age who are grieving.

We hear a lot from folks about how they don’t know what to say or do for kids and teens when someone has died. Many folks are also unsure if a child is grieving “right.” Check out the tips below that can help you gain a better understanding of what grief looks like for children 0 to 5 years of age, what you can say to them to help, and how their grief looks different than an adult’s.

Common Grief Reactions

Child will respond to family’s reactions
Before your child can talk, their grief may be expressed in the body
Changes will happen as the child gains more language
Questions and behaviors may be repeated

Appropriate ways to speak with your child

Label emotions as your child gains more language (i.e. I feel sad, I’m glad)
Think of your little one’s behavior as communication
Be honest, and use child-friendly language
Younger children may believe that loss is somehow their fault; let them know it is not
It’s okay if you don’t always have the answer

Activities

Plan activities you and your child can do together
Read books about loss that match child’s age
Describe a range of feelings with words and actions
Expressing a range of emotions is healthy for you and your child

Things to Remember

Children’s grief is based on one’s culture, religion, and race
Maintain a level of curiosity with your child’s experience in grief
There are no set stages; grief doesn’t happen in any special order
Grief and grieving changes over time
Reach out to a professional if you or your child needs support

Share Our Guide

Get the guide on understanding of what grief looks like, what you can say to a child to help, and how a child’s grief looks different than an adult’s.

Download the Guide (PDF)

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