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Notes to Adults

Suggested Age Group(s): Young, Middle, Teen, Adult

Purpose: To build community between adults and children/teens about their loved one, to help allow children/teens to express their feelings, concerns, worries to adults in a safe way

Task/need: Moving toward the pain of the loss, converting the relationship to memory, develop a new self-identity, living on the grief spiral

Activity Setup Ideas: Begin in the children/teen room by talking with them about the following topics: changes in their home since their loved one died, worries they are now having, feelings they have a hard time coping with, etc. Explain to the children/teens that they are going to let the adults in their lives know how they are feeling about the subject, but in a safe anonymous way.

Materials:

  • Index cards
  • Pencils/Pens
  • Poster board

Description: Instruct the group to write answers to a question presented regarding the topic discussed. For example: Changes that I do not like in the home, Changes that are okay in the home, What worries me most right now is, etc. Volunteers will then collect the cards and explain that a poster will be made with their typed responses on a poster board and given to the adults to answer their questions or concerns. Volunteers will turn the cards over to Staff. Then Staff will type up the responses (so that parents/guardians cannot decipher handwriting) and post the answers on a poster board to give to the Adult group the following meeting.

Activity Wrap Up Ideas: Adult volunteers can use this poster as a means to discuss concerns children/teens are having and allow the adults to respond in a similar way that can be presented back to the children/teen group. Give the children and teens the opportunity to talk about how it felt to share with their adults their concerns or feelings. Give adults the opportunity to talk about how it felt to hear about the children's/teens' worries.