Educational Resources Store

When a child has just lost a parent, a sibling, or other loved one, what can we say?  How can we do the right things without adding to the child's sadness, confusion and grief, especially when we are grieving, too?   In clear, concise language, Dr. William Kroen offers comfort, compassion, and sound advice to any adult who is helping a child cope with death.  Combining his experiences and information from the well respected Good Grief Program at the Judge Baker Children's Center in Boston, Massachusetts, he explains how children from infancy through age 18 perceive and react to death.  He offers suggestions on how we can respond to children at different ages and stages, and describes specific strategies to use in order to guide and support them through the grieving process, from the first devastating days through commemorating the loved one and eventually moving on with life.  This book also includes a list of recommended organizations and additional readings.

Trevor Romain talks directly to kids about what death means and how to cope.  His new book is for any child who has lost a loved one or other special person, and is simple, insightful, and straight from the heart.   In straightforward terms, he asks the kinds of questions kids have about deathWhy? How? What next?  Is it my fault? Whats a funeral?   He describes and talks about the overwhelming emotions involved in grieving and offers useful strategies for dealing with them.  He also suggests meaningful ways to remember and honor the person who has died.   This book is full of solid advice and expressive illustrations, and offers the comfort and reassurance that children need during these difficult times.  Written to and for kids, its also recommended for parents and other relatives, educators, counselors, and youth workers.

This DVD is an ideal resource to help a teen dealing with grief.  It features interviews with grieving teens, because teens are most receptive to their peers.  They speak from the heart, sharing candidly about their pain and healing.  The video covers topics such as surviving the days, weeks, and months after the death, grieving the relationship lost, facing the future, and rebuilding your life.  When a Loved One Dies gives insight to teenagers, parents, teachers, and counselors who want to know how to help bereaved youth.  The accompanying resource guide contains information about the grief process, activities that can help with grief, and grief support organizations.  Alicia Sims Franklin, LCSW, is a grief management specialist and a bereaved sibling.  Emerging as an internationally recognized authority on children and grief, Ms. Franklin has created an award-winning, self-help model for children's grief support programs.

Watching a child grieve, and not know what to do is a profoundly difficult experience for parents, teachers, and caregivers.  Yet, there are guidelines for helping children develop a lifelong, healthy response to loss. When Children Grieve, the authors offer a cutting-edge volume to free children from the false idea of "not feeling bad" and to empower them with positive, effective methods of dealing with loss.  Many of life's experiences can produce feelings of grief in a child, from the death of a relative or a divorce in the family to more everyday experiences such as moving to a new neighborhood or losing a prized possession.  What ever the reason or degree of severity, if a child you love is grieving, the guidelines examined in this thoughtful book can make a difference.