Children Dealing with Life and Death

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Recommended: Effects of parental drug abuse

Most children ponder the thought of what life would be like without their parents. They imagine how amazing and fun a life filled with jokes and no rules would be. Not even having to go to school if you did not want to. Except this is not how life works. When a parent dies and the reality sets in, it quickly shows us that life is not all fun and games. The death of a parent is a devastating reality for any young child to bare. This abrupt reality may have long lasting effects as each child has their own unique way of perceiving life’s events. In the blink of an eye ones world may be completely twisted around. This kind of tragedy has the ability to shape a child in both negative and positive ways. They are now faced with the task of working through grief, dealing with change and are forced to face an unknown future.
There are two ways a child may lose their parent. Death can be natural and instant or prolonged and drawn out by illness or other medical problems. Sadly cancer or other medical problems are very common ways for children to lose their parents. When a parent has cancer it can be very difficult for the child. After years of long hospital drives and countless hours in the waiting room, a child may grow confused, angry or upset when their parent is not getting better. In this situation it is important for the child to be aware of what is going on with their parent. It is imperative to give children information that is relative to their understanding such as: the treatments are not working like they use to, this may mean mom or dad is not going to get better. The child may notice that their parent is not as active anymore. Providing a strong support system may help the child cope with feelings of: false hope, heartbreak,...

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...ause growth in new ways and although the scars of death may leave their mark they do not define the future.

Works Cited

Child's Bureau. "How Parental Substance Use Disorders Affect Children." Child Welfare Information Gateway. U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2009. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
Gravelle, Karen and Charles Haskins. Teenagers Face to Face with Bereavement. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: J. Messenger, 1989. Print.
Perry, Bruce D. "Death and Loss: Helping Children Manage Their Grief." Scholastic News Apr. 2005: 3. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
Simon Leslie, and Jan Johnson. A Music I No Longer Heard: The Early Death of a Parent. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1998. Print.
Tesoriero, Heather W. "Siblings Raising Siblings." Time 14 May 2001: 1. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
Zaslow, Jeffery. "Families with a missing piece." Wallstreet Journal 30 Mar. 2014: 1. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.

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