My daughter was overseas and couldn’t return for my father’s wake. She wrote a message to him and we included it in the memorial. This helped her feel more connected to us.

My six-year-old couldn’t understand where his “Dido” was. My sister told him that we had lost Dido. I later found him searching under the bed for him.

A grandparent’s death may be your child’s first experience with the death of someone they care about. Their age, their personality, and their relationship with their grandparent, as well as the relationship you had with your parent, will all influence their experience.

In general, children and youth express their grief differently than adults, but like adults, each child has their own way of experiencing and expressing their grief.

Children, whether young or in adulthood, often take cues for how to grieve from their parents and other adults. You can support them by:

When opportunities present themselves, consider talking with your children about their grandparent. This will help your children to have memories and stories to take with them in their life.

Helpful resources

Kidsgrief.ca