Coping with Grief for Kids

Hi, friends! Welcome to another social-emotional learning video from Milemarks. Today, we will be learning all about grief. In this video, you will learn three things. First, you'll learn the definition of grief. Second, you'll learn how grief can affect you. And third, we'll go over helpful ways of coping with grief. Ready? Let's get started! So, what exactly is grief? Grief is a strong emotion that people feel when they lose someone or something that was special to them. It's a time when you're feeling really sad because the person or thing that was important to you is gone. It's hard for you to feel happy and all you want most in the world is for that person to come back into your life. Grief can be caused by different kinds of loss. Here are a few examples of kids who are experiencing grief. Jaishan's uncle just passed away after being sick in the hospital for a few weeks. He was really close to his uncle, and he's going to miss him very much. Anya's family is moving across the country and she has to leave her school, friends, and neighborhood that she loves. Kyle told Veronica that he doesn't want to be her friend anymore. Veronica is feeling sad because their friendship is over. Other types of loss that can lead to grief include losing a special object, getting very sick, having a pet die or run away, parents getting divorced, or not being able to use a part of your body anymore. Grief looks different for everyone and it can take some people longer to start feeling better. When you're grieving a loss, you might experience other feelings like anger, sadness, guilt, loneliness, regret, stress, fear, or anxiety. Grief can also affect your body too. You might get headaches, stomach aches, have trouble breathing, get chills or sweats, or feel a pain in your chest. You could also find it hard to relax and fall asleep, and you may not feel very motivated to eat during meals. Sometimes, when people are experiencing grief, they stop caring about the things that used to make them happy. They may even try to avoid being around their friends and family members. When you lose something or someone that's important to you, it's hard to know just how long you might feel grief. It takes some people a really long time to start feeling happy again, and that's okay. The time it takes is different for everyone. It can also take a while to actually believe that the person is gone and won't be coming back. You might also feel really angry about it. You may be mad at them, yourself, or the people around you. You could spend a lot of time thinking and wondering if there's anything that you can possibly do to change what happened. There will be moments when you may also feel really sad and depressed about not having the important person in your life anymore. Though it may seem like you'll be grieving forever, eventually, you might get into a place where you understand that the person is gone, and you try your best to get back to feeling happy. Just know that even though you might start feeling better and things get back to normal, it doesn't mean that you'll ever forget about the person or thing that you lost. So, what are some helpful ways of coping with grief? Here are four things you can do to cope with grief. 1. Focus on the good times. Grief can bring up feelings of sadness and other uncomfortable feelings, especially when you're thinking about the person or thing that you've lost. Try to take some time to think about the happy memories that you had with this person. When you start missing them or you're feeling sad, look through some old photos, draw a picture or carry an object that reminds you of a happier time. 2. Take care of your body. You want to make sure that you are staying healthy and making smart choices for your body. When you're grieving, you might not really feel hungry or may even forget to eat. Try to eat full, healthy meals during the day. You also want to do something active even when you may not really feel like it. You can go for a walk, ride your bike or play a sport that makes you feel happy. You want to make sure you're getting the right amount of sleep so that you feel well-rested each day. When your body is feeling healthy, it can make it easier to cope with difficult feelings. 3. Be around people who love you. Instead of trying to stay away from others, make time for your family and friends. They probably want to support you and help you start to feel better. Be sure to tell them what you need from them. You can ask them to do a fun activity that makes you smile, go for a walk with you, listen to you as you share your feelings or give you a hug while you cry. Sometimes it's really nice to be around and talk to people who know and understand what you're going through. You can also ask to speak with a counselor if you feel like it would be helpful. 4. Do something special. You can take time to do an activity or craft in memory of your loss. You can cook a meal, plant a tree, volunteer, write a poem, do an act of kindness or plan a memorial in honor of the person you've lost. By doing something special, you're helping to keep this person's memory alive. It's important to remember that there is no timeline for grief, so you should take as much time as you need. You need to make sure to keep practicing these positive coping skills every day. Now you know all about coping with grief. I hope you learned a lot and you found this information helpful. If you've recently lost something or someone very important to you, we hope that you start feeling better soon. Look below in the description for more grief resources for kids and teens. Be sure to also check out our other videos and visit our website at www.myomarks.com for more helpful social-emotional content. Have a great day, friends!