Grieving Child - by Helen Fitzgerald (Paperback)

About the Book

Explaining death to a child is one of the most difficult tasks a parent or other relative faces. The Grieving Child now provides much-needed guidance, covering such areas as visiting the seriously ill or dying, especially difficult situations, including suicide and murder, attending a funeral, and the role religion can play.

Book Synopsis

Making a Child's World Whole Again

Explaining death to a child is one of the most difficult tasks a parent or other relative can face. The Grieving Child offers practical, compassionate advice for helping a child cope with the death of a parent or other loved one. Parents of children from preschool age to the teen years will find much-needed guidance, covering:
- Helping a child visit the seriously ill or dying
- Using language appropriate to a child's age level
- Selecting useful books about death
- Handling especially difficult situations, including murder and suicide
- Deciding whether a child should attend a funeral
With a new chapter devoted to the special issues of the bereaved toddler, The Grieving Child provides invaluable suggestions for dealing with a child's emotional responses (including anger, guilt, and depression) and helping a child adjust to a new life.

Review Quotes

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D. From the Foreword A primer for parents in helping their children through the process of grief.

About the Author

Helen Fitzgerald is an author and lecturer certified in thanatology by the Association for Death Education and Counseling. For twenty-three years she was the coordinator of the Grief Program for Mental Health Services in Fairfax County, Virginia, where she conducted many groups for adults, as well as for grieving children ranging from preschool age through the high school years. In July 2000 she retired from that position and she is now the director of training for the American Hospice Foundation. Her books include The Grieving Child, The Mourning Handbook, and The Grieving Teen.