When Parents Experience Loss — How to Help the Family
Loss is something we all deal with. While some losses are small, others seem impossible to overcome. When you’re a parent, loss feels harder because you have to grieve personally and then figure out how to help your kids when you are hurting. What should you say or not say to them?
One of the hardest things about dealing with loss as a parent is that there is no blueprint to follow. No loss is the same, nor is there one way to deal with it. Loss can cover anything from losing a meaningful item in your home to losing a job or losing a loved one.
Why Loss is Hard
Loss is not a new thing. Generation after generation has dealt with their share of hardships, some worse than others. Whether you experience a major recession, a significant outbreak, or a society-altering event like a terrorist attack, there will be extraordinary emotions to deal with after.
Dealing with loss as a parent poses additional stress. Many parents wonder how they will explain these hard events to their kids. Depending on what is going on, there might be questions about how to move forward with life as usual.
The question of whether you will recover - financially, emotionally, socially, or physically, is a heavy question for parents to ponder. With kids involved, there are more lives at stake.
Of course, everyone handles stress and trials differently. It doesn’t help when you see friends, family, or neighbors, seemingly sailing through a tough situation when you are barely getting by. Loss affects everyone differently because everyone is unique and in different situations.