Product Description

Give your child the help and support needed to cope with grief and loss.

Guiding Your Child Through Grief, by the founders of the New England Center for Loss & Transition and The Cove, a highly praised program for grieving children, takes away the uncertainty and helpless feelings we commonly feel as we reach out to children who mourn. This caring and compassionate guide offers expert advice during difficult days to help a child grieve the death of a parent or sibling. Based on their experience as counselors--and as parents of grieving children--the authors help readers to understand:


The many ways children grieve, often in secret
Changes in family dynamics after death--and straightforward, effective ways to ease the transition
Ways to communicate with children about death and grief
How to cope with the intense sorrow triggered by holidays
The signs grief has turned to depression--and where to find help
And more insights, information, and advice that can
help a child heal

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #172508 in Books
• Published on: 2000-08
• Released on: 2000-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780553380255
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
"When death occurs in a family, all hell breaks loose," note the Emswilers, founders and directors of The Cove, a program for grieving children and their families, and of the New England Center for Loss & Transition. Beginning with the wrenching tale of how James lost his first wife to an unexpected heart attack, the book is threaded with his own personal experience in helping himself and his three children navigate through their shared grief, as well as with the firsthand accounts of others. The book's eminent practicality and compassionate, down-to-earth tone make it an invaluable handbook: from dealing with the initial shock to identifying typical reactions to death by age group and achieving the "three goals" of family grieving: reestablishing stability, acknowledging the experience of loss individually and collectively, and supporting each member in his or her efforts to start growing again. The authors provide comfort through frank communication, sagely noting that grief education is often neglected because of "the misconception that the more kids know, the more they'll experience." They also discuss the special challenges of remarrying and of step-parenting grieving children (which the Emswilers have done successfully). Tips for school personnel, health-care professionals and a suggested age-appropriate reading list round out the volume. Thoroughly researched and bolstered with the wisdom of bereavement experts nationwide, this fine guide does those working through the loss of loved ones an enormous service. It should rank amongst the first line of defense and support for those facing a death in the family. (Aug.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Guiding Your Child Through Grief is written by a husband-and-wife team and based on their experiences as founders of The Cove (a program for grieving children) and the New England Center for Loss & Transition as well as their own personal experiences with grief. This well-researched book covers all ages, including the teenage years. The appendixes provide an excellent suggested reading section divided into categories by age group and another section on tips for school personnel. Both books offer useful advice in small, digestible chunks, including many bulleted lists, and would be a useful addition to any public library. The scholarly quality of Guiding Your Child Through Grief also makes it appropriate for academic collections.DAnnette Haines, Central Michigan Univ. Libs.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
...I know of no one who can offer such compassion, comfort, and guidance during the lonely and painful times of a child's grief... -- Rabbi Earl Grollman, author of Talking About Death: A Dialogue Between Parent and Child

Absolutely the right book for the family that needs it. -- Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen To Good People

An excellent resource for parents... Clinicians, counselors, teachers, and other members of the broader community will also benefit from reading this book... -- David J. Schonfeld, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Child Study, Yale University School of Medicine

Families will find the Emswilers' book a steadying hand at a rocky time. -- Time Magazine

Praise For Guiding Your Child Through Grief

"Absolutely the right book for the family that needs it."
--Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen To Good People

"A monumental contribution to the countless children who can be helped to cope with the loss of a loved one instead of left unassisted because the adults around them lack an awareness of their needs."
--Therese Rando, Ph.D., author of How to Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies

"An excellent resource to help you bring forth what is within your child, your self and your family so it does not destroy any of you. The tears of unexpressed grief extinguish life's bright candle. Read on and light the dark tunnel so others may follow.
--Bernie Siegel, M.D., author of Love, Medicine & Miracles and Prescriptions for Living

"With the Emswilers' vast experience, I know of no one who can offer such compassion, comfort, and guidance during the lonely and painful times of a child's grief--An exceptional book."
--Rabbi Earl Grollman, author of Talking About Death: A Dialogue Between Parent and Child

"An excellent resource for parents, whether they are just beginning to help their children and themselves adjust to the anticipated or recent death of a family member, or whether they are looking for insight into supporting further adjustment several years later. Clinicians, counselors, teachers, and other members of the broader community will also benefit from reading this book so that they, too, can learn how to help children and their families deal with a loss."
--David J. Schonfeld, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Child Study, Yale University School of Medicine

"I wish Guiding Your Child Through Grief could be in the hands of every parent with a child or adolescent grieving a death. Of special help is their section on the challenges of stepparenting children after the death of a parent."
--Donna L. Schuurman, Ed.D, Executive Director, The Dougy Center for Grieving Children, Portland, Oregon -- Review

Thoroughly researched and bolstered with the wisdom of bereavement experts nationwide... -- Publisher Weekly - 6/19/2000

Customer Reviews

A holistic approach to childhood grief!
The much anticipated book about child/adolescent grief by the Emswilers deserves a place in the library of anyone who works with young children and teens. Experiencing the deep loss of a loved one is a frightening, confusing experience for children and parents. Sharing their years of personal insights and anecdotes in dealing with grieving youth, this book proceeds beyond the basics of childhood grief and explains how grief affects the family, how to communicate with grieving children, creating and using "holding communities", and rituals that might help. They take us through the minefield of adolescent grief and provide critical information that will help you help your teens deal with grief. They reassure us to "be patient and don't worry, they do come back." This easy-to-read, down-to-earth, sometimes humorous book also delves into dealing with issues that are oftentimes not addressed, such as complicated mourning, caring for care givers, step parenting a grieving child, and tips for teachers and health professionals. There is also a questions and answer section and an excellent bibliography for further readings. This is an important reference I'm sure care givers will access for help throughout the childhood years.

This was the book I was looking for...
...when I lost my wife. I looked for two hours in the bookstore before I found this, and I found a lot of books that sandwiched children's grief reactions to death with grief reactions to divorce, moving, etc. I was looking for something specific, not being sure how to help my daughter when I felt I was being crushed under my own grief. I read the first few pages, where Jim Emswiler describes the death of his first wife, and I knew I had found what I was looking for. This book never did disappoint.

If you need it, this is, in my opinion, THE book for families with grieving children.

Compassionate and practical help for grieving families
This is an excellent book for parents of children dealing with all phases of loss. They explain how children of different ages perceive death in different ways.

The authors go beyond the basics. They give specific advice on how to talk to children about different types of death including cancer, suicide and murder. They discuss different ways to rebuild after the loss. I particularly liked the section on stepparenting the grieving child.

The Emswilers balance illuminating vignettes with theory and advice. The chapters are organized so that one can pick and choose, based on one's particular needs.