Developmental Stage: During these first two years, children's development is focused on creating an attachment bond with primary caregiver/s. These bonds are the foundation of trust and healthy relationships. Infants are also rapidly building their social, emotional, and cognitive skills. Personality and self-awareness are starting to form. Show
Concept of Life & Death: Up to age 3, all objects are alive. Infants and toddlers have very little understanding of death, but they may notice that something is missing or different. Symptoms of Grief: All children, regardless of their experience with grief, may exhibit the following traits at various ages and stages of their life. However, research has found that after the death of loved one, children may have prolonged or noticeable experiences with one or more of the following symptoms:
How to Help - the 6 Rs:Reassure:
Routine:
Release:
Remember:
Reflect & Connect:
Reach Out:
Ages 3-5 Preschool Developmental Stage: During this preschool age, children develop social/emotional/moral reasoning, engage in imaginative and fantasy play, understand cause and effect, can experience two emotions at once, begin to self-sooth, and experience feelings of shame and guilt. Concept of Life & Death: Young children will transition from believing all objects are alive to seeing anything that moves as alive. This age group does not understand permanence of death: they may believe the person in asleep and will wake up. Symptoms of Grief: All children, regardless of their experience with grief, may exhibit the following traits at various ages and stages of their life. However, research has found that after the death of loved one, children may have prolonged or noticeable experiences with one or more of the following symptoms:
How to Help - the 6 Rs:Reassure:
Routine:
Release:
Remember:
Reflect & Connect:
Reach out:
Ages 5-11 Elementary School Developmental Stage: During the elementary school age range, children are developing cognitive, social, emotional, and moral reasoning. Children will begin to socialize and identify friend groups. Competition, eagerness, fairness, and rule-following are common traits of this age group. Anxiety and phobias may also form during this stage (scared of spiders, monsters under the bed, etc.) Concept of Life & Death: Children will gradually start to understand that death is permanent, and the person will not return. Children may believe that death has scary and mysterious powers. Around age 9, children start to understand that death is both personal (that they will eventually die) and universal (that all living things will die). Symptoms of Grief: All children, regardless of their experience with grief, may exhibit the following traits at various ages and stages of their life. However, research has found that after the death of loved one, children may have prolonged or more extreme experiences with one or more of the following symptoms:
How to Help – the 6 R’s:Reassure:
Routine:
Release:
Remember:
Reflect & Connect:
Reach out:
Ages 11-13 Middle School Developmental Stage: During the middle school years, pre-teens may experiment with different roles/identities and try to separate that identity from the family. They may show less affection towards caregivers and/or come across as rude. Pre-teens have trouble calculating the level of risk in situations and will experience a rollercoaster of emotions (moodiness). Pre-teens often look to fit in, which can lead to social anxiety. Concept of Death: Middle schoolers understand that death is permanent, however they may also experience magical thinking (that the person went away on a trip and will return). They also realize that death is both personal (they will die and experience the death of a close person) and universal (that everyone will die). Symptoms of Grief: All children, regardless of their experience with grief, may exhibit the following traits at various ages and stages of their life. However, research has found that after the death of loved one, children may have prolonged or noticeable experiences with one or more of the following symptoms:
How to Help – the 6 Rs:Reassure:
Routine:
Release:
Remember:
Reflect & Connect:
Reach out:
Ages 13-18 High School Developmental Stage: During their high school years, teenagers will experiment with different roles and priorities, develop a distinct identity, and may seek to separate that identity from the family. They have trouble calculating risk and their emotions will fluctuate (moodiness). They turn more toward peers for a sense of belonging, which can lead to social anxiety as they seek to fit in. Intimate relationships form (boyfriends/girlfriends), which may lead to a sense of vulnerability. Teenagers begin to be more resourceful, reasonable, and reliable as they age towards adulthood. Concept of Death: Teenagers understand that death is permanent, however they can experience magical thinking (that the person went away on a trip and will return). Teens often question the meaning of life. Symptoms of grief: All children, regardless of their experience with grief, may exhibit the following traits at various ages and stages of their life. However, research has found that after the death of loved one, children may have prolonged or noticeable experiences with one or more of the following symptoms:
How to Help – the 6 Rs:Reassure:
Routine:
Release:
Remember:
Reflect & Connect:
Reach out:
Ages 18 – Mid 20’s Young Adults Developmental Stage: Young adults start to consider plans for independence, post-secondary education, and career goals. Social maturity and intimate relationships may evolve and develop. Personality and identity strengthen during this time. Concept of Death: Young adults understand that death is permanent. The death of a significant person can have a profound, permanent effect on young adults. Young adults continue to be vulnerable when processing grief as they are still developing their social, emotional, and coping skills. Symptoms of grief: All people, regardless of their experience with grief, may exhibit the following traits at various ages and stages of their life. However, research has found that after the death of loved one, young adults may have prolonged or noticeable experiences with one or more of the following symptoms:
How to Help – the 6 Rs:Reassure:
Routine:
Release:
Remember:
Reflect & Connect:
Reach out:
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