Children as individuals vary in the ways that they cope with death. Their ages and relationships to the person who died can have a great effect on their behaviors, emotions and coping strategies.

Pals through Grief is a support group for young people ages 6-17. “Pals” who have experienced the death of a loved one, join together with their peers to support one another with well-structured activities, play, music and talk.

We also offer a guidebook/diary entitled, "Pals through Grief" that de-mystifies death and dying with simple age appropriate words and activities. A resource list is included, as are guidelines for parents/guardians on how to best support their child in times of grief.

Our website: www.goodbyeaurevoir.com is an interesting and interactive site for young adults, complete with activities and blogs for sharing. New this year is a link on the site to FACEBOOK which can be used as another method of communication most young people are familiar with. By "hanging" out with their peers through chatting, they soon learn their feelings of sadness are the norm. As a confidential, safe site, it is a source to find help among peers. The site is monitored by Pat Roe and Joyce Dennison, PhD.

We encourage adults to also use the site for grief education and guidelines on helping young people in recovery from loss and expression of grief.

The following are some guidelines that may help a child’s grief:

Keep normal routines.
Include child in decision making process.
Talk openly trying to answer his/her questions as they come up.
Do not use catch phrases when explaining death, such as "passed away", but try to use concrete words that they can understand (such as, "this person died.").
Do not be afraid to model your own feelings of sadness to the child. If grief is repressed, the child will grow up thinking that it’s a negative/unacceptable feeling.
If your child is trying to be protective of you, or the family has a code of secrecy to protect you, try to show feelings and open the discussion with them. Books, music, support groups, journaling and art pictures drawn by the children can help them in both expression and discussion.

All of these are practical tools that we use to help in grief recovery work during our support group Pals through Grief.

CTV Newsmaker with Joyce Dennison : Video

CTV's Mutsumi Takahashi talks to Joyce Dennison of the West Island Palliative Care Residence about how children cope with bereavement and grief (please note that your video will open up via CTV's website).

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUPS

To assist children mourning the death of their loved one(s). Facilitated by professionals, with peer encouragement.

Download the latest bereavement support group calendar.

Pals Through Grief Support Group

For 5-17 year old youth/ age appropriate group divisions. Held once per week for 7 weeks/Saturdays 10 am-12pm. Located at Beaconsfield United Church. Free. Fall-Winter-Spring sessions available in both English and French.

For more information on any of these services contact Joyce Dennison – Bereavement Coordinator at 514-693-1718 ext. 231, or by email: jdennison@wipcr.ca