Students and their families often approach the holidays with “fresh
wounds” from a recent loss. The loss may be a grandparent, parent,
sibling, friend, or even an adored pet. Making the way through a first
holiday after a loss can be very painful. While it is important for
those grieving to talk about a loved one, it is equally important to
make new rituals to help aid in the healing process. The benefit of the
family openly grieving together has powerful healing potentials. There
are many ways to create new family rituals such as having a celebration
dinner with a different relative or serving a dinner at a homeless
shelter.
Keep an eye out for family members who appear withdrawn and involve
them in the planning of what a new holiday might look like. Some ideas
could include: packing a lunch and heading to the tide pools, sharing a
favorite story about the deceased, watching a sunset, or planting a
tree.
For young people it is often challenging to discern normal adolescent
behavior from that of a grieving teen in trouble. Some indicators that
a teen may need added support include:
- Dramatic changes in behavior
- Isolation or Depression
- Anger
- Truancy or Decline in academic performance
- Guilt or Confusion
- Substance Use
Following a loss, teenagers often feel a heightened
sense of grief and sadness because developmentally so many things in
their lives are in flux. Remember not to minimize or overlook the
feelings of young people who are experiencing loss because adolescents
often have difficulties verbally expressing grief.