John Adams: Helping Children Grieve Better through Bereavement Education

What this episode covers

The current national curriculum teaches children how life begins. Sadly, however, they are not taught how to comprehend and cope with the reality of how life ends.  In this conversation with John Adams, president of the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) in the UK, he talks about a petition he has spearheaded, pushing for bereavement as a mandatory subject in schools. And while this topic is a tough one, it is very important to equip children with the skills to understand death and not to brush away the emotions of a child with regards to bereavement. For example, when a child's pet goldfish dies and the child is crying, parents should not dismiss the child's emotions as insignificant simply because it was "only a fish". Listen to this episode and learn more about how you can help children grieve better through bereavement education, and what you can do to support John's petition. LITTLE NUGGETS OF GOLD: - What is the purpose of John Adams' campaign or petition for the inclusion of bereavement in the UK's national curriculum? - Is John proposing that school teachers should be teaching the curriculum? - The importance of education and counseling for the mental health of children witnessing death, regardless of its form. - What kind of parameters and guidelines does our society need in order to get rid of the stigma around death? - John's thoughts on coffin/casket sales Resources: If you are in UK and would like to sign the online petition, you can go to this link [https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/636718]: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/636718 Connect with John Adams: LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/john-adams-04b567208 Connect with Jennifer/The Glam Reaper: Facebook Page - Muldowney Memorials: https://www.facebook.com/MuldowneyMemorials/ Facebook Page - Rainbow Bridge Memorials: https://www.facebook.com/rainbowbridgememorialsdotcom Instagram - @muldowneymemorials [https://www.instagram.com/muldowneymemorials/] & @jennifermuldowney [https://www.instagram.com/jennifermuldowney/] Twitter - @TheGlamReaper [https://twitter.com/theglamreaper] Email us here: [email protected]