Posters to the People in Our Lives
Suggested Group(s): Middle/Teen
Purpose: To reflect on ways the people in children's lives have been helpful and not helpful. To voice what they might want the people in their lives to know.
Task/need: Living on the grief spiral, context of meaning & group structure
Activity Setup Ideas:
- Begin as a group to discuss the statements, questions and actions of those in the lives of group members who can have an impact on their grief experience, be they parents/caretakers, extended family, friends, classmates, teachers, school personnel, coaches, etc.
- Acknowledge that sometimes people even with the best of intentions don't know how to be helpful when you are grieving.
Materials:
- Several large Post-it™ easel sheets or butcher paper or white board
- Markers
Description: Have the children brainstorm together to develop a list of things that the people in their lives should know about their needs as grieving individuals. You may want to have a general list, or to create separate lists for groups like family, caretakers, peers, school personnel, etc.
Activity Wrap Up Ideas:
- Review the list(s) and talk about the ways in which the group members can share this information with the people in their lives.
Note: This activity is very similar to letter writing activities aimed at identifying the same information, but done as individuals. Use your knowledge of the group and their willingness to share (or interest in writing) to judge whether to make this a group activity using posters or an individual activity writing letters.
