“I had a sister and she died. Her name was Anna and we miss her very much.” ~Eva, 4 years old.
What is grief?
When really hard things happen in a life, like when someone we love is sick or dies, every person goes through a process called grief.
Grief is about feeling the loss of our loved one ~ feelings like sad, mad, guilty, numb. Some kids feel relief because a loved one is not hurting any more. But one thing for sure......
You don’t have to be a grown-up to grieve
If you are a child who would like to find ways to understand your grief, this page is for you. An important thing to know is that it is OK to be a kid and grieve.
Another thing important to know is that it’s OK to have fun too, but only if you feel like it. Here are some activities to we offer at Safe Crossings to help you through your grief.
Welcoming Summer Gathering in June. Here, we celebrate the coming of summer, and think about how families, like seasons, can change. We hold a special activity of decorating hand-made orca whales.
Winter Bonfire at Alki Beach. We play on the beach, meet new friends, chase each other around, make and eat smores (yum!), collect shells and rocks, create special hearts with words to our loved ones, and watch the orange and yellow sunset over the water.
Camp Erin™King County, a special weekend summer camp for kids! We do lots of fun activities at Camp Erin, like crafts, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, nature hikes, a climbing wall, campfires, and karaoke! We also have special activities and rituals throughout the weekend to honor our loved ones.
Ask your mom and dad about the other seasonal gatherings, located on the friends and family page.
It’s important to talk about grief
At our special Parent/Child Groups this is what we do: Meet other kids who have lost someone special in their lives, listen to their stories, and talk about what its like for you. We do art projects using stickers, glitter, paints, buttons and balloons to express what you are feeling, and to find special ways to remember your loved one. Play fun games using costumes and props, and lots of physical activity, to create ways to share and understand your feelings.
Check out our Kids Activities Page for more ideas on how to understand your grief.
Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to grieve. Ask your parents about how to get involved in any of these activities. We hope you found the Kids Page helpful!
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