Have you ever lost something or someone you love? Do you remember the sinking sensation that dealing with loss brings?
Horrible, isn’t it? For an instant the bottom falls out of your world. Depending on what or who you have lost, you may feel adrift for quite some time.
It is for our children as well. And in some ways, a whole lot worse.
Little people they may be, but loss brings with it some monumental emotions, even to them. It’s difficult enough to manage as an adult; can you imagine how hard it must be for kids?
What makes it worse is that, in their little, still-developing brains, they cannot quite see the difference between the loss of a favorite blankie, a pet, a best friend’s loyalty or their nana the previous year.
To them, they all feel equally monumental and overwhelming. And when the adults in their lives just don’t get it, this adds to the anxiety.
If you are reading this site, parenting positively though life’s little and big crises is probably one of your goals. Let’s take a look at what we can do to help our children through the maze of dealing with loss so they can grow into strong emotionally intelligent adults.
So here’s a parenting conundrum to kick off your day:
Do you ever find yourself wishing you could whip out a magic wand when your child is acting out?
Have you ever found yourself drawn into deep negotiations with your child?
Aren’t you amazed at how seemingly random things can send our kids into a complete emotional meltdown?