Grief operates in different ways for different people. Processing the passing of somebody close to you is always going to be a challenge, but it can be especially confusing if it happens when you’re a kid. Nobody can be fully prepared for somebody not being around anymore, but the younger you are, the less understandable it can be.

If you are a parent whose child loses a close family member, it makes your job even more important. You have to help them make sense of it and also try to be respectful of their feelings, no matter how much time elapses. Unfortunately, not every mom or dad is respectful of this and it can lead to some difficult situations. There is a real risk of creating a rift for the simple reason of not being willing to understand the complicated process of grief while somebody is growing up and still learning about themselves.