Parents & Caregivers
Supporting a grieving child while living with your own grief can bring questions you never expected. You do not have to carry those questions alone.
Parents and guardians of children or teens enrolled at Ele’s Place can meet with other parents and guardians during their child’s group. A licensed clinician facilitates the adult group. You can talk about your own grief and the questions that come up while caring for a grieving child.
After the deaths of her son John and her husband Walt, Paula Crosby-Flake wished she had known other parents who understood. She went on to facilitate a spouse and partner group in Ann Arbor.
Paula Crosby-Flake · Stories From the Heart
You know your child best. If changes in behavior or mood persist or interfere with daily life at home or school, you can call a clinician for guidance. Staff can help you consider peer support and offer referrals for individual or family counseling.
When a child asks about a death, use clear words such as “died,” answer the question they asked, and let them ask again. You can invite them to talk, play, draw, or remember the person who died. Follow their lead.
For a very young child, familiar words and an everyday routine can be a way to stay close. A toddler may want to hear the same short answer more than once.
Understand the next steps for your family.
After Chuck died, his family found people who understood what it was like to be a teenager or a parent grieving at home.
In 2007, when the girls were teenagers, Chuck went into the hospital for a minor surgery, came through with flying colors and was feeling great. Later that night, he had two heart attacks and did not recover. We were all in complete shock, devastated that he had died.
After Chuck’s death, our pain was intense and unbearable, and our grief was unimaginable. The girls were flooded with a series of emotions including confusion, guilt, anger, and renewed feelings of abandonment. For the second time in their lives, they were without a father.
Ele’s Place has helped the kids to grieve, cope, manage and accept their feelings of loss and anger. Ele’s Place has helped me realize that I am not alone. It is wonderful to have a safe place to share my feelings, worries, problems and fears with other surviving husbands and wives.
Ele’s Place continues to offer us friendships, acceptance, security and peace and we are learning to deal with all the emotions while still remembering Chuck. He will never be forgotten in our hearts.
“Ele’s Place is our guardian angel.”
You do not have to have all the answers before reaching out. Contact the community nearest you to talk about support and next steps.
A conversation with our team can help you find a starting point.
Hello. Our website is being updated. This may your experience. This is temporary and we appreciate you patience.
