Grief
[Definition/Overview - insert text]
Behaviors to be Aware of:
[clinical guidance from MGH]
Physiology: What’s going on in your brain?
[insert text/clinical guidance]
Resources/Start a Conversation
Below are some resources and videos or activities to share with students to help start a conversation around this emotion, based on age group.
Elementary School
Remembering Uncle Jack (Sesame Street — short episode)
Message: When someone you love dies, you might feel confused, angry, or sad. Different people may react in different ways when they feel sad. Even though the person who died is not coming back, sharing our favorite memories can help us feel better.What Grief Feels Like (Dougy Center - animated short video)
Message: Grief is different for everyone. What does grief feel like to you? This video features quotes from kids and teens who attend Dougy Center grief support groups.8 Things to Try when the Grief Gets Intense (Dougy Center — list of activities)
The ARQ of Grief Support (Dougy Center - printed tool)
Message: The ARQ — Awareness, Reflection, & Questions — is a framework you can use to create meaningful, supportive interactions with children and adults who are grieving.Mini-Episode: Traci, Amira, & Alina (Dougy Center — online episode)
Message: Road to Resilience was born out of a commitment to helping children cope with the death of a parent, sibling, or loved one. In this mini-episode, Traci talks with Amira and Alina about what they remember and miss about their daddy.
Middle School and High School
What Grief Feels Like (Dougy Center — animated short video)
Message: Grief is different for everyone. What does grief feel like to you? This video features quotes from kids and teens who attend Dougy Center grief support groups.A Kids Book About Grief (Dougy Center — a Read Aloud book)
Message: Authored by Dougy Center's Executive Director, Brennan Wood, who writes directly to kids about what she learned about grief when her mom died just after Brennan's 12th birthday.8 Things to Try when the Grief Gets Intense (Dougy Center — list of activities)
Movement Activities for Grieving Children (Dougy Center — list of activities/movements)
Message: While some children will process verbally, others will be drawn to art, music, or physical activity. Movement and play can help children identify and safely express their feelings. These movement activities are a way for children to access this kind of nonverbal expression.Mini-Episode: Megan, Michael, & Mason (Dougy Center — online episode)
Message: Road to Resilience was born out of a commitment to helping children cope with the death of a parent, sibling, or loved one. In this second mini-episode, Megan, Michael, and Mason talk about life after Michael and Mason's dad died.Road to Resilience: Memories and Stories that Move Us Forward (StoryCorps — animated short non-fiction story)
Message: Children and caring adults/family members talk about an experience of grief in their life. This includes 3 featured stories about grief from StoryCorps, which are short animated nonfiction stories)Road to Resilience Online Resource (StoryCorps)
Message: This course includes special resources on how to adopt our interview model for children and families who are grieving, including age-appropriate Great Questions lists, kid-friendly animations and audio clips, discussion guides, and ideas for engaging communities in topics related to children’s grief.When Somebody Dies (KidsHealth)
Message: It's difficult, even for grownups, to understand why this must happen. It may be the hardest thing of all to understand. The best we can do is accept death as a fact of life. It happens, and we can't do anything to change that. When and how does it happen? What does grieving mean?
