What's New at OUR HOUSE
Welcome to the OUR HOUSE Family Bulletin Board.
We hope the activities and the information here will help you cope
with your grief while sheltering at home in the days and weeks ahead.
At Home Activities for Families
Story Time: My Forever Guardian with Talya Schlesinger
My Forever Guardian, by Kristina Jones, illustrates a conversation between friends and classmates about how to heal from the death of someone close. My Forever Guardian explores the idea that after a loved one dies, they remain connected as a “forever guardian.” The book shows children openly sharing about their loved one who died and giving and receiving support from one another. Illustrated by Beatriz Mello.
Story Time: Not The End of the Chavez Family with Carolyn Christ
In Not The End of the Chavez Family, author Mari Dombkowski explores the grief of a family after the death of their father through the eyes of the eldest sister Natalia. This story shows how grief changes over time as Natalia and her family learn together how to heal and grow, and to find hope and connection through their loss. Illustrated by Nazar Horokhivskyi.
Links to Support Resources
The Suicide Stigma: Why Victims’ Families Deserve Better
Our own Clinical Director of Children’s Programs, Lauren Schneider, LCSW, contributed to this article about the stigma of suicide. Read more about how the tide is turning on how we think about suicide and the grieving families who have experienced this type of death.
Back to School Blues & Grief
Back to school can be a challenging time for any family. Add a global pandemic to the mix, and grieving families may find themselves stressed out and overwhelmed. Starting school for the new year requires adjusting to new routines, changes in bedtimes, and adapting to remote learning while also juggling your own professional and personal responsibilities. Very often, paying attention to yours and your child’s grief can fall through the cracks.
Read more about what you can do to help!
Explaining COVID-19 Death to Children
When someone dies of COVID-19 a child or teen may experience thoughts and feelings unlike those experienced when deaths are due to other causes. As with deaths due to other causes, it is important to be truthful about the cause and to provide age appropriate explanations to questions that children may have. Since this disease is new to human beings, feeling prepared requires knowledge. Like other parenting responsibilities, preparation can alleviate confusion that caregivers might experience if caught offguard.
Trinka and Sam Fight the Big Virus
This story by by Chandra Michiko Ghosh Ippen and Melissa Brymer was designed to help children cope with fears and worries related to COVID-19. Please read it by yourself first and think about how you will use it with your child. Review the parent guide and the accompanying booklet Trinka and Sam’s Questions. Even if you choose not to read specific pages to your child, the story, the booklet, and the parents’ guide at the end of the book, may help you better understand your child’s reactions to COVID-19
National Alliance for Grieving Children Toolkit
NAGC Toolkit: The experience of change and loss can impact everyone differently and can cause disconnection for families. The NAGC is invested in ensuring everyone has the opportunity to share their feeling and feel validated.
Please use this workbook to process and create space for everyone’s emotions and connect your family’s stories.
