By the age of 16, over 5.4 million children will suffer the death of a parent, 50% of children will experience loss of a parent to divorce, and more than 68% of children will endure a traumatic event.
Children's Grief Awareness Day is observed every year on the third Thursday of November to help bring outreach to millions of grieving children.
The National Alliance for Grieving Children offers some helpful facts about grief in childhood.
- Grief is a normal reaction for a child to the death of someone in his or her life or a significant loss.
- Grieving children can handle the truth, so be honest and open when talking about things.
- Each child’s grief is as unique to him or her as was their relationship with the person lost.
- Children who are grieving often feel alone and misunderstood. This is why talking to a child helps make sense of the loss and healing can begin.
- Grieving children feel less alone when they can be with other children who have experienced the death of a parent or a similar loss. Contact your local community to find out where grief support groups meet in your town.
