Supporting bereaved children

Children, Grief and Creativity (with Julia Samuel MBE)

A short, animated film Click here to watch on YouTube.

This film offers practical advice on ways to support bereaved children and suggests that creativity can help them process their loss. It is enriched by the wisdom and words of psychotherapist Julia Samuel MBE, Founder Patron of Child Bereavement UK and bestselling author, and the research of Lesel Dawson, an Associate Professor at the University of Bristol. It is animated by Gary Andrews (@GaryScribbler), creator of ‘Doodle-a-Day’ and Finding Joy, a collection of illustrations documenting his life with his two children after his wife, Joy, suddenly died from sepsis. Gary’s children, Lily and Ben, feature in the film. Rachel Hare was the Research Associate on this project and the film was funded by the Brigstow Institute, University of Bristol.

Grief in Children: A Handbook for Adults

Atle Dyregov

This fully updated second edition of “Grief in Children” explains children’s understanding of death at different ages and gives a detailed outline of exactly how the adults around them can best help them cope.

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Interventions with Bereaved Children

Smith and Pennells   

A resource with lots of practical ideas. Twenty contributors share effective ways of supporting and helping bereaved children. Chapter 13 is titled, “Helping Families and Professionals to Work with Children who have Learning Difficulties.”

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Someone Very Important Has Just Died: Immediate Help for People Caring for Children of All Ages at the Time of a Close Bereavement 

Mary Turner

This short book tackles the sensitive issues of what to tell children, how far to include them in the events immediately after the death, and how to tend to their physical and emotional needs. The material is suitable for anyone regardless of their background and beliefs, and is supplemented with information on where to go to obtain longer term bereavement support.

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Supporting Teenagers Through Grief And Loss: Practical Ideas & Creative Approaches

Anna Jacobs

A wealth of advice and helpful suggestions for those helping children through bereavement and loss. This book gives an overview of different behaviours you may encounter in school and how to respond, as well as discussing questions children may ask and how to answer them. Children's understanding of death varies according to stage of development and the author provides guidance on age-appropriate, honest responses along with a toolkit of creative and arts activities to help children examine and understand their emotions, physical feelings and memories.

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The Little Book of Bereavement for Schools

Ian Gilbert

A short, personal account of the way various schools tried to support the author’s three children after the death of their mother.  A book for a parent to take into any school which is seeking to support grieving pupils. It opens with a brief 15-point guide which would be a helpful starting point.

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