Grieving and Coping with Loss
There are so many factors of the pandemic that, to put it mildly, are both complex and out of the ordinary. We should expect the same of our own emotional & psychological reactions to it.
As parents, putting your own oxygen mask on is always the first priority. That means finding ways to be present with and process your own emotions. Brene Brown is a highly esteemed researcher on what helps with difficult feelings like guilt, shame, and grief. You may find her recent podcasts to be a "safe" way to get started--she is wise, down to earth, and funny.
On Comparative Suffering, the 50/50 Myth, and "Settling the Ball": some sound advice on how to keep going & functioning as a family
This article by Megan Devine explains how it is easy for all of us to get the wrong idea about grief.
Children experience grief in different ways at different stages of development. This handout from The Healing Patch, provides information about grief at different developmental stages, children's possible changes in emotions & behavior, and how we can help.
When there is a tragedy like the losses caused by COVID-19, children, in the absence of accurate information, will try to figure it out on their own. Responding to Change and Loss, by The National Alliance for Grieving Children, provides a variety of ways to help children express emotion and manage big feelings with a caring adult.