How to Support Parents Through the Grief Process

The death of a child is the most traumatic and devastating experience a parent can endure. Trying to cope with this loss often triggers a myriad of emotions ranging from anger and fear to sadness and guilt. While these emotions are a natural part of the grieving process, they can also be detrimental to the parents. Support from others is essential to help the couple cope with their grief and make the process more manageable, according to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Instructions

• 1

  Acknowledge the child's death and offer the parents your sincere condolences. Don't avoid speaking to them through fear of further upsetting them. When you do talk to them, don't be afraid to use the child's name, according to the At Health website.

• 2

  Offer your support for as long as they need it. You can help with day-to-day business the parents may not feel up to doing such as grocery shopping and laundry. Offering to help with parts of the funeral arrangements will take some pressure off them both.

• 3

  Listen to them. While they have each other to talk to, talking to someone who is not as emotionally involved often helps. It is important that you listen at these times and don't force your opinion on them. Everyone grieves differently, so what you may be familiar with is not necessarily what they are feeling.

• 4

  Anticipate strange or intense emotion and behavior. The range of emotions two people may feel as they struggle to deal with their loss can be unpredictable. For example, they may appear obsessed, playing the last memory they have of their child over and over in their minds. This is normal behavior and is a sign they are attempting to deal with their loss. They may also express feelings of guilt, blaming themselves or even each other for their child's death.

• 5

  Organize help and support for any remaining children. The loss of a sibling is a devastating event for a child which will leave them shocked and confused. Add to this the fact they are seeing their parents in immense pain and it is an emotionally trying time for them. The parents may also become extremely fearful for the safety of their remaining children, making them overprotective and irrational, according to the National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Resource Center. Knowing their children are safe and being cared for by people they trust will ease some of the pressure the parents may feel.

• 6

  Maintain your support for as long as it takes and for as long as you believe the couple needs it. Once the funeral is over, the support the parents receive from other sources will slowly disappear. There is no set period of time a person will grieve; it can be anywhere from 18 to 24 months or longer. Parents will never get over losing a child, but the continuing support of other people can make their loss easier to bear.