Adolescence is a particularly difficult stage of life, even without the additional burden of grief – grieving teens may end up feeling lost or confused if they do not have someone guiding them through the process. As adults, we can help attenuate some of their pain by normalizing their experiences while giving them space to be teens.
This process is not easy, but don’t give up! Sometimes it might seem like the only person who could possibly get through to your teen is their future (wiser) adult self, but indeed, adults have the ability to shape outcomes by providing compassion and support to grieving teens. Often times the environment in which a teen is left after a loss is more important to the teen’s ongoing psychological development than the actual circumstances of the loss itself.
Be sure to also check out our Community Resource page.
-Olivia Norton