It would be great to think that no child would ever have to experience grief, but of course that’s not true. Children suffer losses just as adults do, and grieve in their own way.
Mary Andrews College understands that pastoral care is a deeply needed ministry in our society today and we want to give you the tools you need to help a child dealing with grief. Grief is individual, unavoidable, and takes as long as it takes. It is understood and expressed by children according to their age, level of maturity and the circumstances of the loss as well as the support they have around them.
There are as many ways to grieve as there are people, and the grieving style of an individual child should be respected. Some are noisy in their grief, overtly expressing it in words and actions while others grieve much more privately.
Resources Available
We run courses that help people understand the process of grief and how to help people who are grieving. We teach how to share the love of a God who weeps with them but also will one day take away the pain. Perhaps you would like to consider taking one of our units on grief or pastoral care to learn how to be equipped to come alongside those who are grieving.
If you are helping children deal with grief and loss here are some helpful organisations: