Ways grief can manifest in children

Grief responses

What reactions do children display when grieving?

Just like adults, children are deeply affected by loss and grief experiences, and whilst everyone grieves differently there are common responses or grief reactions that children may display. These reactions will be varied and may reflect age, developmental stage, cultural background, previous experience of loss and available support.

In an article Signs of Grief in Children and How to Help Them Cope on theverywellfamily.com website, Amy Morin, a psychotherapist, discusses how children grieve differently to adults and the grief reactions that manifest in children.

The illustrations below depict some of possible signs that a child is grieving.

Signs that a child could be grieving

Difficulty concentrating

Problems with sleeping

Clinginess, anxiety, or feeling abandoned

Developmental regression

Changes in behaviour or play

Feelings of guilt

Click here to read more about each of these grief reactions.

Behavioural changes are common in children who are grieving and should be expected. Some children will display these reactions immediately while others may not show a response until days or weeks later. When children are grieving, their world can feel unstable and fragmented and learning to recognise these grief responses and reactions is essential to normalising their feelings and experiences.

Here’s a matching game to help you recall what you’ve just learned

Turn over 2 cards a time to attempt to match the pictures and read the signs of grieving in children.