How did the kids’ daily lives change after they lost their loved ones?
Some kids had to move in with the other parent after one parent died; some moved to a new neighborhood with a different cultural mix; they had to deal with going to a new school and trying to make new friends; they had to move in with grandparents

What did the kids see when they envisioned a future without their parent around?
Getting married without the parent there to see it

What emotional reactions did the kids have when their loved ones died?
Sadness; surprise; the need to be alone; the need to cry; the need to be strong in front of others

What helped the kids deal with their sadness and grief?
Thinking of the good times they spent with the person before he or she died; expressing feelings; crying or “letting it out”; talking to people; joining a counseling or grief group

How did the kids find group therapy helpful?
They saw that they were not alone; they shared their thoughts with others in the same situation; they could say things that they couldn’t say to family members

How did the death of a loved one change the kids’ views about their lives?
It made one child more careful about what he said to people in case he could not take it back; it made another more determined to live his life rather than put things off until later

Further Discussion:
How do you, or would you, deal with extreme grief? Are you the type of person to keep things inside or let them all out?

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