Advice
Coping as a Parent: Supporting Your Child Through Grief
July 24, 2025
Watching your child experience grief is one of the most heart-breaking experiences a parent can face; you want to ease their pain, but sometimes no amount of comfort feels like enough. While your focus is on them, you may also be struggling with your own emotions – fear, sadness, helplessness – and maybe your own grief too.
Being strong for your child doesn’t mean ignoring your own feelings, it means learning how to support them whilst also taking care of yourself. Here’s how you can navigate this difficult journey together.
Acknowledge your own feelings
Before you can be there for your child, you need to recognise and accept your own emotions. It’s ok to feel overwhelmed, scared, or even guilty. These emotions don’t mean you’re failing, they mean you care deeply!
- Allow yourself to grieve, cry, or express frustration.
- Find someone to talk to – a friend, therapist, or support group (see our ‘get support’ section below).
- Remind yourself that you’re doing the best you can.
Taking care of your emotional wellbeing isn’t selfish, it’s essential for you and your child.
Create a safe space for open conversations
Your child may not know how to put their emotions into words, and they might have questions they’re afraid to ask or feelings they don’t fully understand. Let them know they can talk to you about anything, encourage honesty and reassure them that all emotions are okay.
Of course, not all children express their emotions verbally, but they still need a way to process them. Encourage them to find an outlet that feels comfortable, such as:
- Drawing, painting, or writing in a journal
- Engaging in physical activities like sports or dance
- Playing with toys or teddies to act out emotions
- Listening to music or making their own
Remember that you don’t need to have all the answers – just listening and being present can bring them comfort!
Maintain a sense of normality
Grief and illness can make life feel unpredictable, and sometimes it can all feel as far from normal as it can possibly be. Having said that, trying to maintain familiar routines where possible can help give your child a sense of stability and security, even if nothing else feels very stable. Things like keeping daily routines (such as meals, bedtime or school) as consistent as possible and encouraging them to continue activities they enjoy can be really beneficial, and offering them some choices can help them feel like they have some control over their life.
Even small moments of normality can help them feel grounded in difficult times.
Be honest
Children need honesty, and the way you talk about grief can shape how they process it; acknowledging their loss is important, but so is reminding them they’re not alone – use reassuring language like “We’re in this together,” or “No matter what happens, you are loved.”.
Use simple, age-appropriate language to explain what’s happening, and try to avoid euphemisms which can cause lots of confusion for children who don’t fully understand them. Phrases like “gone away” or “gone to sleep” can make children think their loved one is going to come back, and can also cause lots of issues around sleep later down the line!
Get support
There are some fantastic organisations out there to help you all get through this; Winston’s Wish offers support for children across the UK, whilst CBUK has lots of resources to help you support young people when a loved one has died – they also have advice on different types of bereavement, including suicide and sudden death.
If the situation is affecting you too, Cruse Bereavement Support has groups for adults across the country and the AtALoss.org website has a directory of other support you may be able to access.
