GRIEF AND CHILDREN Outside Resources for Bereaved Kids
LOCAL SUPPORT GROUPS
Grief and children...
RAINBOWS- 1-800-266-3206 www.rainbows.org Local peer support groups for grieving children and their families. Groups are led by trained adults. Online newsletter and referrals. "Guiding kids through life's storms".
DOUGY CENTERS- www.dougy.org Peer support groups for grieving children, at local child grief centers or with trained providers. For children and adults wanting to help a grieving child. Website has an extensive list of books about children and grieving.
"Tear Soup", by Pat Schweibert. Tear Soup is one of the best and most popular grief resources we know of. It looks and reads like a fairy tale, or child's fable, but it is actually most informative about grief for adults as well as childeren. A must read.
For Ages: 4-8:
"The Fall of Freddie the Leaf", by Leo Buscaglia. A sensitive story about death and dying, this book remains a classic. As Freddie experiences the changing seasons along with his companion leaves, he learns that death is a part of life. May help young children understand death and to talk about it.
"Daddy's Promise", Cindy K. Cohen, Especially helpful for children who have lost a parent, this book addresses many of the emotions a child may experience: guilt, anger, sadness and fear. A hopeful and constructive book that should help open dialogue with the child.
"Everett Anderson's Goodbye", Lucille Clifton. A beautifully illustrated Reading Rainbow selection. A simple, poetic telling of Everett Anderson's feelings as he copes with his father's death.
For Ages 6-11:
"Dusty Was My Friend: Coming to Terms With Loss", by Andrea F. Clardy. Eight-year-old Benjamin remembers his friend Dusty, who was killed in a car accident, and tries to understand his own feelings about losing a friend in this way.
"Don't Despair on Thursdays! The Children's Grief Management Book", by Adolph Moser. From The Emotional Impact Series, a highly praised handbook for children dealing with a grievous loss.
