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Letters to Caretakers (or Others)

Suggested Group(s): Middle/Teen

Purpose: To express their perceived needs and ways that support from persons in their lives would be helpful

Task/need: Develop a new self-identity; relate the loss to a context of meaning, living on the grief spiral, experiencing continued support

Activity Setup Ideas:

  • Discuss the uniqueness of each person's grief journey and the unique needs that each of us has while grieving.
  • Ask the group to discuss or give thought to 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:

  • Paper
  • Pens, pencils or fine tip markers

Description: Have the group members take some time to write letters to the people in their lives who can be supportive to let them know what would be helpful in the process. Have them write about what they wish people knew to help them during their grief.

Activity Wrap Up Ideas: The letters can either be shared or sealed and taken home with the children to share with somebody in their lives or put away for safekeeping.

Suggestions: This activity is very similar to the poster activities aimed at identifying the same information, but done as a group. 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.