Resources & Tips on Processing Grief with Pre-Teens

Grief for a Pre-Teen can be very confusing and overwhelming. Preteens are experiencing physical changes along with the overwhelming emotional component of grief. Normal grief symptoms may look like: difficulty with describing feelings and thoughts, wanting more time alone, wanting to be with friends, acting like nothing happened (denial), regression in behavior, difficulty with separation from parents due to worrying something “bad could happen”, cycling of a wide range of emotions  and experiencing changes in sleep and/or appetite.

 

Some of the ways you can support your child during this time can include meeting their experience with compassion, making yourself available by spending time together, helping identify feelings in healthy ways and validating the normalcy of different feelings during this time, relaxing your expectations, communicating with other adults helping care for your child about concerns of behavior and assisting them in community grief resources.

 

Avera Behavioral Health of Brookings is here to support youth and families during this difficult time of grief and loss for our community. To ask any questions or to learn more about services for your child or family, please call 605-692-8092 for more information. Licensed professionals who are trained in supporting youth and families during a time of grief are available for support.

Other resources about grief:

“After a Loved One Dies— How Children Grieve And how parents and other adults can support them” 

National Alliance for Grieving Children “10 Ways to Help a Grieving Child” 

Sesame Street - "Helping Kids Grieve"