I had to figure out who in my life was really able to show up for me and who wasn't.

A  network of support

When someone close to you dies, it can be challenging to find a balance between modelling grief and containing extreme grief that might frighten your children. To help with this, it’s important to have a support network for yourself. Consider:

• Turning to family, friends and others you trust.

• Seeking counselling from a grief specialist or someone in your faith community. 

• Joining a grief support group. This could be led by peers or professionals.

• Enlisting the help of other adults you trust to help emotionally support your child.

Keep in mind that your children shouldn’t be your primary support network. 


Model getting support

Let your children know if you seek counselling or group support. This is another way to model healthy grieving. 

Learn more at MyGrief.ca in the module Caring for yourself.