Kilgore Primary
Counselor Newsletter
Helping Kids Cope With Grief and Loss During the Holidays
For most kids the holiday season- the time between Halloween and New Year's Day- is filled with joy. Children who are grieving, however, can find this time of year quite challenging. Everywhere they look, they will see signs of the holidays. This can result in grief bursts that can be triggered by the sights and sounds of the happy times going on around them. Every adult grieves differently so its understandable that each child is different as well. Its important for caretakers to be aware of the signs of grief and know strategies to help with coping.
Warning signs of grief:
* isolation and withdrawal from others,
* anger or irritability
* a drop in academic performance
* distraction and inability to focus, confusion, memory problems
* profound sadness, loneliness and yearning for what was lost
* depression
* irregular sleep and appetite patterns.
Tips for helping children to cope with grief:
Listen and validate. Help children communicate their feelings and remind them that it’s okay to feel sad, mad, afraid, confused, or lonely.
Plan for the holiday. Plan ahead and use the holiday time to commemorate that person or loss. Let children know its okay to remember that loved one.
Create new rituals. Kids like rituals. They like things that they can look forward to. Its okay to keep old holiday traditions, but don't be afraid to create new rituals as well.
Volunteer. Instill in children the power of volunteering and service to others at a young age. This helps children to feel better about themselves because they are helping others. It also helps them to get through the holidays.
**For more tips on how to help children cope with grief during the holidays, visit Our Kids Magazine.
November Core Essential- Gratitude
SAY IT:
Gratitude is letting others know you see how they’ve
helped you.
KNOW IT:
Ask a kid:
• When is the last time you thanked your parents for
helping you with your homework, or for buying you
sports equipment, or for taking you to a movie, etc.?
• Who are three people who have helped you? How
could you could show them gratitude?
SEE IT:
On YouTube, look up https://youtu.be/T-Shoem_iZg.
This video is about Pharrell Williams, a successful
singer-songwriter and producer and how he shows
his gratitude to his alma mater and former teachers.
Even though he is a celebrity and travels all over the
world, he still makes it a priority to travel back to his
hometown and thank the people who helped him get
to where he is today.
BE IT:
Choose a day this month to visit your local police
station or fire department and deliver a sweet treat,
small gift or handmade thank you note to let those
men and women know that you appreciate all they do
to protect and serve your family and community.