6 Steps to Surviving the Death of a Child

1. Allow yourself to grieve and recognize your emotions as normal responses to such a horrific loss.  You may experience all or some of the 5 stages of grief at one time or another. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. In addition to these you may feel guilty or afraid depending on the circumstance of your loss. If you want to talk, then talk. If you want to cry, just cry. If you want to sleep, just do it. Keeping your emotions bottled up inside will only fester up until you blow. It’s actually healthy to cry and without this first crucial step of embracing emotions you can’t move forward in the healing process. Any or all of these emotions are all part of grieving and everyone is different in how long they grieve. It doesn’t mean you’re a better parent if you grieve longer nor does it mean you’re not a good parent if you move through all stages in a short time. Everyone grieves and walks in their journey differently and at their own pace. At one time it was believed each step occurs in order and that has since proven to not be completely true.  While your impulse may be to blame yourself or take on guilt for not being there if it’s a tragic accident, try to resist the urge. There are simply circumstances in life and that cannot be controlled. Beating yourself up about what you could have, would have or should have done is counterproductive to healing. Grieving is a personal walk in life and even couples may grieve different and at a different pace.  Respect each other’s emotions or you could end up at odds over this so-called time table of grief.  You may be angry before denial and if fact you may never go through bargaining depending on your circumstances. Please allow your spouse their own space and way of coping. This will make your relationship a lot easier in this trying time of your marriage.

3. Take care of yourself and then you can take better care of others. Some parents can’t sleep or eat while others over eat and stay in bed all day and night. None of which is good and something I still struggle with after 7 years. I am an emotional eater and although I am learning to redirect my stressors, it’s all a process and learned behavior. The key to success is surrounding yourself with a good support team. The death of a child takes a huge toll on you mentally and physically. The need for rest and proper diet is of course a necessity and easier said than done. If you’re having difficulty sleeping you may want to create a sleep time ritual or routine. I found bubble baths is the most relaxing ritual prior to bedtime. It’s difficult for most to eat immediately after your child has died and food was delivered for days by so many.  Everyone wanted me to eat but I just couldn’t do it. It’s later on that food can be a crutch and it’s a habit so hard to break. Some parents never regain the appetite for food and their health begins to suffer as well. Try to remember to eat for fuel only even if you have no appetite. Taking care of yourself is not just physical but mental as well. Some may need anti-depressants, or therapy. Some may never seek the help they need. It’s your mind and body and nobody knows you better than you! If you need to cope by way of medication then seek a doctor that can help you. There is no shame in seeking the help you need to learn how to live your new normal life. Work with your family physician or therapist you trust and feel comfortable with to find out what works for you and make a plan for treatment. I found there are many grief sites that will offer suggestions and others that give reviews on who and what worked for them. Even though we are all different, if you’re at a loss for direction it may be helpful to reach out to someone who has walked your same journey for suggestions.

4.  Evaluate friendships and other relationship. If we ever needed a friend in our life it would be after hearing the news your child has died. Allow your friends to be there for you. This is the only way they know to care for you whether it be cooking a meal, listening, running your errands etc…One of the most painful realities is the friends we thought we could count on just simply pull away during this grieving period. Some people simply do not know what to say. Our friends who are also parents may feel uncomfortable with the reminder that the loss of a child is possible. If you have friends encourage you to go through your grief on your own pace you should listen to them. If you have friends that push you to "get over" your grief and try to hurry you through your grieving process, you need to set boundaries. If necessary, distance yourself from those who insist on dictating and directing your grieving journey. Remember your friends and family are hurting too and have their own grief to work through so allow them to cry as well and work through their own pain. We tend to forget as parents that our child was loved by others and we aren’t the only people suffering in sorrow even if our levels of grief and loss are different they too need time to heal.

5. Keeping your child’s memory alive and celebrating their life on earth and in heaven. Our child is gone and the pain sets in so deep that it hurts for a lifetime but we can keep our child close to our heart and keep their memory alive in so many ways. You can host many different events from just family and friends to an open invitation for the public. A memorial dinner/gathering a few weeks after the funeral would be a great way to honor your child. Sharing memories, photos, stories and laughter. This event could be at your home, family home, the park or somewhere your child enjoyed going. You should consider a scholarship offering or memorial fund. You can combine the two if you prefer. My son’s classmates start a 5K run held annually in Memphis that not only brings everyone together honoring my son but also to raise funds for a scholarship that is given away each year to a deserving senior at my son’s high school. Visit www.bryantkitememorialfund.com for more information. You could also call the local University or high school to set up other scholarships honoring your child in his or her name. You can hold a fundraiser such as our 5K to raise funds to donate to a particular charity or project that was meaningful to your child. Think about the activities and interest of your child and what was important to them and look for ways to donate to a good cause. You can create a web page, Facebook page etc…..The social media has endless opportunities to spread the word. You can collect photos on your sites and stories as well. You can provide information on fundraising and events to honor your child. Birthday banners and announcements for your child’s family and friends. If you’re really creative you may want to begin the project for scrap booking, photo albums, and art work designs. If your child enjoyed art you can collect art and have it framed.  Scrap booking could be a family project that would allow siblings to feel they too have a contribution to their brother or sisters memory.

I chose to write and in April 2014 my book Wake-Up Call was published.Visit www.wake-upcallbook.com for more information. Depending on the nature and circumstances of your child’s death you may want to lobby for better laws, or become an activist for a good cause. For example if your child was killed by a gun to may want to join an organization enforcing gum control or if they were killed by a drunk driver you may want to research joining (MADD) Mothers against drunk drivers.  John Walsh became famous after his six-year-old son Adam was murdered, he went on to help sponsor legislation to toughen laws on those convicted of violence against children and hosted a TV show focused on catching violent criminals and has made a huge difference in law enforcement.

6. Do whatever you need to do work through your grief in a positive way. Some parents have asked whether it’s a good idea to continue to celebrate birthdays in honor of their child memory and of course it is! There are no right or wrong ways to do this--if it would give you comfort and allow you to celebrate all that was good, funny and bright about your child, then plan a birthday event. You can invite close friends and family and plan a balloon release or have a candle light ceremony. You may feel connected by joining a bereavement group. Knowing that you're not alone in your grief and that others are facing similar challenges can be comforting. Bereavement support groups for parents are available in most communities. I found the National Organization of Compassionate Friends has local chapters all over the country and can offer you the chance to tell your story in a supportive, non-judgmental environment, a decreased feeling of isolation and people who validate and normalize each other's emotional. There are many National Conventions and Conferences held at different times of the year and you can simply go online to research what works best for you. Example is the National Grief Convention 2015 held in Indianapolis, IN April 16-18 and Compassionate Friends National Conference 2015 held in Dallas, TX July 10-12. There are also many forums online dedicated to giving support to those living with loss. Look for one that is specifically for parents grieving the loss of a child in order to receive better understanding of your specific loss. There are also many general grief website that too are very helpful such as Grief Tool Box. Facebook has several open and closed groups. Example for support for Mother’s who have lost their child is (SIS) Sister’s in Sorrow, Grieving Mother’s and the list goes on. Make sure however you are in a group that you feel comfortable. Some sights will display photos of their deceased infants and children so if this causes you an increase of pain do not join that particular group. If you have faith in God make sure you’re not asking to join an atheist group that could possibly offend you and set you back in your grief journey. The best advice I can give through trial an error is do your research and explore what gives you a positive outlook, hope and comfort.