Children’s Grief Awareness Week
Children’s Grief Awareness Week is held from 17 – 23 November 2022 and it presents a powerful opportunity to come together and highlight the voices of bereaved children and young people.
No one knows exactly how many children are bereaved every year because that data is not formally collected, but in 2004, the last time a national survey was done, it was estimated that 1 in 29 children and young people aged 5-16, one child in every classroom, have experienced the death of a parent or sibling¹; and another survey found that around 78% 11-16-year-olds had been bereaved of a close relative or friend.²
The Child Bereavement Network estimates that up to 70% of schools have a bereaved pupil on roll at any one time, yet many staff members feel anxious about supporting a bereaved pupil in school or early years settings or addressing bereavement and loss in the curriculum.
Coping with loss and bereavement is incredibly painful and personal, so there is often a fear of talking about it in case it brings up feelings that are overwhelming. However, this is something that we all need to do in a safe, thoughtful, and compassionate way, with someone who can hear and ‘hold us’ through it.
Every bereaved child needs the following to help them cope with loss:
This year, the theme for Children’s Grief Awareness Week is ‘What helps?’ which encourages us to think about children and young people’s experiences in our own settings and to find effective ways to support those that are experiencing grief and loss.
‘Memories and me’ is one of the 10 core themes of the Hamish & Milo Wellbeing Programme and it aims to empower the adults in schools to help children think about bereavement and grief, to share their thoughts and experiences in a sensitive and emotionally containing way and understand how it may affect them so that they are more aware and able to seek the support they need.
Each session throughout each theme of the wellbeing programme follows the same clear and detailed format, creating a sense of safety and predictability for both the children and the adult facilitating the session. The session begins with a Welcome and check in, followed by a Focus Moment, then an Insight Focus, followed by a fun and creative Activity, before ending with Reflection which is captured in each child’s individual reflective journal.
One of the activities in the ‘Memories and me’ sessions use sock puppets to explore thoughts and feelings of loss in a safe and gentle way, before the children create a tree of comfort.
This Children’s Grief Awareness Week, we invite you to try this activity in your setting.
About Children’s Grief Awareness Week
Children’s Grief Awareness Week was founded in 2014 by Grief Encounter, in association with the Children’s Bereavement Network and partner charities, designed to raise awareness of bereaved children and young people in the UK; and how providing those affected with free, professional support can make the world of difference to their future.
¹ Childhood Bereavement Network, Childhood bereavement: what do we know in 2019
² Harrison, L and Harrington, R (2001) ‘Adolescents’ bereavement experiences: Prevalence, association with depressive symptoms, and use of services’, Journal of Adolescence, 24, 159–169.
