"For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living." Psalm 116:8&9



Friday, May 14, 2010

Helpful Children's Books about Grief

Talking with children about death is one of the most challenging and painful things I have ever had to do. I will write another post on how I told my 3-year-old son that his daddy had died very unexpectedly. This post is to share with you some helpful books that we have used in the days and weeks after loosing my husband.

What Is Heaven Like? by Beverly Lewis
I love this book! It is a beautifully illustrated (by Pamela Querin) story about a boy who's grandfather dies. Each page is about the boy asking a different person about what heaven is like. Each answer tells us about what we will see and do in heaven. The thing I love most about this book is that each page has a scripture on the bottom that is the basis for each idea about heaven. It ends with discussing how a person gets to heaven - by loving and trusting Jesus. 

Help Me Say Goodbye by Janis Silverman
My sweet friend Kim sent me this book shortly after Barry died. It is an activity book to help children process and cope with the death of a loved one. Each page gives an activity for the child to draw or write about different feelings and memories the child has about their loved one. Here is an example of one of the activities my son and I did together:
Instructions: Draw your special someone. What do you like to do with your special someone?
(Since Will is 3, he's learning how to draw. He would tell me what to draw - "Momma, draw daddy's head," and he would add the eyes and mouth or color objects in. The pictures of the things Will liked to do with daddy were drawn my me, as dictatcted by Will.)




4 comments:

Krystal Mullins said...

Love your blog. Can't wait to see how the God continues to use you as well as mold you more into the likeness of His Son. Praying for your family :)

Andi said...

So glad you're blogging friend! I know that God will use this to minister to so many. There are lots of broken hearts on your same journey. You are precious to share with such honesty and transparency. Looking forward to hearing more and praying for you continually.

Blessings,
Andi

Ana said...

Hi Charity:

I am glad I find your blog. I hope you are doing well. I keep you and the children in my prayers.

I wanted to share with you some links that provably will help you. These are blogs from people who are walking this journey of grief. I read them because it makes me think and see things in a different way. They challenge me a lot. I hope this help you a lil.

http://prayforjohnsonfamily.wordpress.com

http://bandssullivan.blogspot.com

http://bb4thelord.blogspot.com

Christine said...

I love the book What is Heaven Like? The other book you mentioned reminded me of activities for children and teens I found at www.childgrief.org. Our favorite activity is drawing a gingerbread shaped man then coloring where they feel their grief. A several other books: Someone I loved Died by Christine Harder Tangvald, Someday Heaven by Larry Libby, two of our favorite children's books that the main character's parent dies, Geranium Morning by E. Sandy Powell and The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills.