The start of the school year was always a time of celebration for my husband. Mimicking the practices of his mother, he insisted on a “first day of school” picture with our son out in front of our house. But in November of my son’s second grade year, my husband died suddenly in an automobile … Read More
Each fall Midland Care hosts a children’s grief camp for children ages 6 – 12 who are grieving the death of a loved one. It takes a village of staff and volunteers to prepare and run the grief camp. Over 30 volunteers attend camp to make sure everything runs smoothly. One of the most important … Read More
As children grow and mature, their understanding about death and grief continues to evolve. Children experience grief differently at each developmental stage. As a child ages and enters a new developmental stage, they may begin to have new realizations about the death and may actively grieve the loss all over again. This can be very … Read More
Often grieving children feel very alone. They think they are the only child who is grieving, sometimes even when there are other children in the same house who are also grieving. There is something that happens when a large group of grieving children get together that is difficult to put words to. The outcome is … Read More
Children and teens often have feelings of anger as they are grieving. However, anger is frequently misunderstood. This can be due to the fact that adults don’t think of anger as being an expression of grief. They are ready for children to feel sad and to cry, but they are ill prepared to handle their … Read More
Get creative with your grief. You’ve heard before that everyone grieves differently, but what does this mean? The grief journey is a deeply personal time in one’s life and each person will express their feelings in their own way. Midland Care reaches out to people in a variety of venues to help them come to … Read More
During the warmer months of the year, many people/families spend time together doing outdoor activities, such as picnics, fishing, walking, biking, camping, etc. When a person/family has experienced the death of a loved one, they may not have the energy to participate in these activities or they may feel unable to participate in these activities … Read More
Preschool aged children often struggle with understanding that death is permanent. This can be hard on their parents/guardians, as it can require their parent/guardian to repeatedly tell them about the death. Even after hearing the person has died, preschoolers often spend time looking for him/her. Regardless of their understanding about the permanence of death, the … Read More