November is Children's Grief Awareness Month
Each November, Children's Grief Awareness Month seeks to bring attention to the fact that often support can make all the difference in the life of a grieving child. It provides an opportunity for all of us to raise awareness of the painful impact that the death of a loved one has in the life of a child, an opportunity to make sure that these children receive the support they need. In general, it’s not helpful to assume how people are feeling. Respecting the individual means asking them.
Six million, or 1 in 12 children, will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. By age 25, that number more than doubles to approximately 14.7 million bereaved youths. Each child's grief is unique. Offering someone your own experience and saying, “I know how you feel,” may seem comforting, but claiming to know before gaining a true understanding of the person’s unique perspective minimizes their experience. Always check in and ask yourself, “Am I focusing on the person’s experience or my own grief?”.
In 2021 alone, nearly 1,200 children were bereaved every day, emphasizing the need for greater awareness and support for those navigating the complexities of childhood grief. These statistics come from the JAG Institute’s 2023 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model Report and emphasize the need for greater awareness and support for those navigating the complexities of childhood grief.
In recognition of Children's Grief Awareness Month this November, the Josie's Place is joining with other members of the National Alliance for Children’s Grief to "flip the script" on grief. Try putting the focus on the griever’s experience to ensure your support is more meaningful and resonant.
Throughout the month, we are collectively committed to providing essential tools and resources aimed at fostering a more grief-informed society. Children who have experienced the death of someone important to them often feel like their struggles are invisible to those around them. These children need advocates, letting all know that the death of someone close is the beginning of many weeks, months and years of finding ways to go on without that special person in their lives, with that person-shaped hole in their hearts.
You can help flip the script on grief! Grief is messy – it doesn’t follow any expected pattern and is different for everyone. Expectations about how someone should think or feel may leave them feeling that they are somehow not grieving correctly.
Throughout November, we will be sharing quick and easy statements that can be invaluable to someone grieving. Oftentimes, traditional expressions of sympathy are well-intentioned but also distancing. We are committed to flipping the typical grief scripts and, together, finding phrases to use when supporting someone who is grieving. These statements aim to provide comfort, empathy, and support to individuals dealing with the profound loss of a loved one. By fostering a more grief-informed society, we can collectively help alleviate the pain and isolation that children who are grieving often experience. health, education, and well-being.
Telling someone to “be strong” when they are hurting may leave them feeling like they are weak when they are vulnerable and experiencing normal emotions after the death of their person.
Grief is a normal, natural response to loss, and we want to create a nonjudgmental space for kids to express their grief, in all its forms.