With the summer holidays nearly over and the back-to-school begins, the UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish, is keen to reassure grieving pupils, as well as their carers and teachers, that support is available.
For many bereaved young people, the shift from school routine to the summer holidays can be a challenging time of year, however, the September back-to-school can also be a tricky transition, as children who have been bereaved navigate a new teacher, a new school or friend group, or even the next stage of their education, without their special person.
Countless young people throughout the UK may also have suffered a bereavement during the summer holidays and will be coping with returning to school after their world has been turned upside down by grief.
Winston’s Wish is keen to reassure young people and the adults who care for them that support is available. The charity offers expert bereavement advice via on-demand helpline services and online content, children can access this support for themselves too.
How can parents and carers support their children to navigate grieving and the back-to-school rush? Teachers also may wish to find help on how to support a pupil who is bereaved.
Alongside this, some families may also find online tutors helpful. A tutor who understands a child’s emotional state can ease the transition by adjusting lessons with patience and care, helping them stay engaged with learning, while coping with grief.
Keeping existing routines can provide a sense of stability and comfort. Simple things like mealtimes and bedtimes are important parts of a routine that will make the transition to either a return to school, or the next stage of their education, easier.
If you can’t keep to a routine in the same way, consider creating a new routine – they might find some new clubs, activities, or places to attend groups.
If your child is going to a new school, balancing both old and new friendships will help as a support network for them during the transition to their new school. Remember, it might be a good idea for them to prepare for some questions they might be asked, such as what work their Mum or Dad does or what they got up to in the school holidays.
Help children and young adults to feel less anxious about separating from you. When we are grieving, we often want to be close to those who we feel safe and secure with. For a child, this could mean that they are nervous about going to school and being separated from their family. If the child is anxious about being separated from you, there are several ways you can help.
You could plan some fun things to do together when you pick them up from school. Perhaps the child could take a small item with them to school, which reminds them of home, or is comforting to look at. Perhaps you can arrange with the school for you and your child to be able talk at break time if they need to?
It’s not just the first day back at school that can be difficult for children and young people. Their grief may surface at any time – it could be doing activities for Mother’s or Father’s Day a science lesson covering cancer, or an argument with their friends. Helping the child to think in advance how they can manage school on a bad day can really help.
Winston’s Wish is the UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity and supports children and young adults, up to the age of 25, when somebody special to them dies. Last year alone, the charity supported and directly impacted the lives of more than 82,000 grieving young people. Parents, carers and professionals, as well as young people themselves, can reach out for bereavement support and advice.
Winston’s Wish is keen to reassure bereaved young people and their families that they are welcome to chat online, email, or call for free to speak to a bereavement support worker by calling 08088 020 021, emailing [email protected] or using the live chat at winstonswish.org between 8-8 on weekdays.
You may also find these resources helpful:
Grief Support for Parents and Carers
Grief Support for Professionals
Grief Support for Teenagers and Young Adults (Talk Grief)
Image: Winston’s Wish
