• Recognize that grief is emotional, not intellectual. Avoid the trap of asking your child what is wrong, for he or she will automatically say, “Nothing.”
• Adults – Go first. Telling the truth about your own grief will make your child feel safe in opening up about his or her own feelings.
• Remember that every child is unique and each has a unique relationship to the loss event.
• Be patient. Don’t force your child to talk.
• Never Say “Don’t feel sad” or “Don’t feel scared.” Sadness and fear, the two most common feelings attached to loss of any kind, are essential to being human.