How to help a teenager when a grandparent dies
Find out how to help a teenager whose grandfather has died and is grieving.
When a grandparent dies it is not easy for anyone, adolescents can try to hide their emotions but it is necessary for parents to know how to support them in these delicate moments for everyone. The death of a grandparent can be a teenager’s first experience losing someone … and it can be extremely painful.
How your teen responds to and mourns the death of a grandparent depends on several factors , including the closeness of the relationship and the events that led to the loss. It is important to realize that grieving is an intensely personal process and that everyone cries differently. When a grandparent dies, a teenager will need help grieving over the loss.
Here we are going to give you some tips so that you can help your teenage daughter in the event that she is suffering the loss of her grandfather.
Index
GIVE PHYSICAL SUPPORT
Give your teenager physical support if he wishes . Sometimes just hugging someone and being physically close while they cry and feel intense emotions can be comforting and helpful. Words are not important or necessary, just physical closeness to comfort and support.
TALK ABOUT GRIEF
Explain that grief is normal and that your adolescent can experience it, explaining what it is, and he can be prepared for the emotions that lie ahead. Tell him that it is normal to feel bad about sadness and that sometimes you may even feel that his pain and sadness are out of control.
These feelings of lack of control can be scary for teens, especially if they have never experienced such intense emotions before .
HELP
You can offer your teen the opportunity to help with funeral arrangements . This can be an effective tool to process grief and say goodbye to your loved one.
YOU MUST BE AVAILABLE
You have to be available to your teenager, especially when he wants to talk. Resist the urge to give a great talk, instead, make yourself available whenever he wants to speak to listen to him. This could mean sitting close to your teen, giving her a hug when she sees her, and telling her that you will always be available if she needs to talk.
TALK ABOUT THE DECEASED GRANDFATHER
Talk about his deceased grandfather if you want to remind him. Fondly remembering your grandparent can be a healthy way to process the loss and keep your grandparent’s memory alive in the present. Share positive memories you have and listen as your child shares his memories.
SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP
Get professional help for your teenager if you perceive that he is not suffering in a healthy way. While everyone cries differently, if you witness reckless or destructive behavior in your teenager, seek the help of a professional therapist to help him overcome his pain. Some teens may feel bad about pain and try to get away from it with destructive behaviors.
REALIZE THAT THE PAIN DOES NOT END
Realize that the pain does not end. Don’t expect your teen to close the door on their grief and move on. A death can be compared to creating a void in the lives of the survivors. The absence of the grandfather will change life forever in the future. While the intensity of the pain may decrease, it is likely that your child (and you too) teenager always feel the absence of the grandfather.
Don’t forget to take care of your own grief while helping your teenager. You may have to deal with your own pain. Your pain may be similar to your adolescent’s pain or it may be different. Your child may also be watching you cry , modeled after your example.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.