Grief and Loss

Presentation

•Jacob Vela
•Tanisha Shelton
•Kayla Segura
•Cinthia Chapa
How does a child in your age group view
death?
• Up to age 3, all objects are alive. Infants and toddlers have very little
understanding of death, but they may notice that something is missing
or different.
How do children in your age group grieve?
• All children regardless of their experience with grief, may exhibit the
following traits at various ages and stages of their life. However,
research has found that after the death of a loved one, children may
have prolonged or noticeable experiences with one or more of the
following symptoms
Symptoms

• Reduced affection toward caregivers

• Prolonged sadness
• Sleep disturbances
• Fragmented memory (feeling like something is missing)
• Anxiousness and inability to self-sooth or be soothed
• loss of appetite
Four techniques to provide support to a child
in your age group through the death and
grieving process.
Technique #1

• Identify special ways

that the deceased person
would soothe the child
and incorporate these
into routines (cooking a
comfort food, using a
specific rocking chair or
technique, wrapping
infant in a special
blanket)
Technique #2

• Read a picture book

together about grief
Technique #3

• Create a
comfortable, safe,
and predictable
environment
Techniques #4

Avoid overstimulation and teach self-

soothing through play. (using stuffed
animals or puppets).
Selection and explanation of two
books to help your age group
through the loss and grieving
process.

The Heart & the Bottle by Oliver

Jeffers.
• Helps toddlers understand. How to
express emotions when dealing with
loss

The Goodbye Book by Todd Parr

• Children reflect on different aspects
of grief
Two ways to provide support to families experiencing
the death of their own child during and after the child’s
death.

Ask them how

Always mention
the person feels
the child’s name
that day.
References:
• http://www.aacap.org
• http://www.childrensgriefawarenessday.org