Children and Grief

The majority of kids will at some point grieve a loved one. It’s a normal part of childhood we often don’t talk about enough. How does a child’s evolving understanding of death impact their grieving? How can we help kids express and process their grief? Developmental-behavioral pediatrician and Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Dr. David Schonfeld joins us on this week’s episode of Dear Highlights to shed light on the important topic of childhood bereavement. Host Christine French Cully reads letters from grieving children who have lost family members and talks with Dr. Schonfeld about how adults can support children’s understanding of death, model effective coping, and help children to continue to feel connected to their loved one who has died.