Feelings about Loss
It's okay to feel this way when someone we love dies, even if we cry a lot.
sad
This word means a person's body stops working and they can't come back, but our love for them stays forever.
dying (or death)
Looking at these captures a moment in time with the person we miss.
photos (pictures)
When you feel sad, it helps to do this with a grown-up you trust.
talking (about your feelings)
True or not true: Crying means you are weak.
Not true — happy and sad feelings can happen at the same time.
This is the name for the mixed-up feeling when you don't understand why someone died or where they went.
confused
This is a gathering where family and friends come together to remember and say goodbye to someone who died.
funeral (or memorial)
Writing down happy times with someone who died in one of these can help us remember them.
journal (or memory book)
Drawing a picture about your feelings is a great way to do this without using words.
expressing feelings (or art)
True or not true: If you feel happy soon after someone dies, it means you didn't love them.
Not true — happy and sad feelings can happen at the same time.
Sometimes when we lose someone, we feel this way at them, even though we still love them.
angry (or mad)
When a pet dies, it's okay to feel just as sad as if a person died, because pets are part of this.
family
Lighting one of these or planting a flower can be a quiet way to remember someone.
candle (or a tree/plant)
Giving someone a hug is a kind way to show this when they are sad.
comfort (or love)
True or not true: Talking about the person who died will make you forget them.
Not true — talking helps you remember them.
This is a warm, cozy feeling you get when you remember something happy about the person who died.
love (or a happy memory)
This word describes something that stays with us forever, even after someone dies, like a photo or a story.
memory
Telling this kind of thing about the person who died, like a funny memory, can make us smile even while we're sad.
a story
This soft object, like a stuffed animal or blanket, can help kids feel safe when they're sad at bedtime.
a comfort item
True or not true: Only grown-ups feel sad when someone dies
Not true — kids feel sad too, and that's okay.
It's normal to feel this "in your tummy" feeling, like butterflies, when something scary or new happens after a loss.
nervous (or worried)
This is what we call people like grandparents, aunts, uncles, or family friends who help take care of us when we're sad.
helpers (or grown-ups/support people)
Doing this activity that the person loved, like their favorite game or song, can help us feel close to them.
a favorite activity (tradition)
Even after someone dies, it's okay to still do this — laugh, play, and have fun sometimes.
being happy (or having fun)
True or not true: There is one "right" way everyone should feel after a loss.
Not true — everyone grieves in their own way.