Teenagers
Most parents of teenagers can understand that their emotions are unique to any other age group. Therefore, grief can be very hard felt for a teenager. This can sometimes lead to unusual and/or risk-taking behavior. In addition, teenagers may internalize their grief in such a way that it ultimately emerges in an unhealthy fashion and may occur much later than it would with an adult. Parents should be very attentive and conscious of the grief their teenagers are going through. Parents also should:
- share their own feelings about loss and death
- keep routines as normal as possible
- let them help plan the funeral or memorialize the deceased in their own way
- provide physical comfort
- assure them that they are safe
- be honest with them
- maintain calm around them, grieving teenagers are best served when order surrounds them
- do not expect them to grieve like an adult
