RITUALS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE:

RITUALS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE:

•         They allow for a direct, strong and meaningful way of expressing what we feel in relation to a traumatic loss

•         They bypass words and allow a strong symbolic expression through an act

•         They give form, structure and frames for our thoughts and feelings

•         They confirm our social connection to those we love and allow others to support us

•         They can both start and end, open and close, important aspects of the grief we experience

HOW TO HELP OVER TIME

v     Listen for the hidden meaning in children’s expressions be they verbal or through play

v     Take children’s search for understanding seriously – meet their questions

v     Do not provide rigid answers too fast

v     Help children in placing their loss in a new perspective as they develop and grow older