Mourning & Bereavement
Children
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How Children React to Death

They grieve more sporadically than adults

They are more capable of putting grief aside than adults

They don�t have to deal with as many reminders of loss since they are not the ones, for example, making funeral arrangements 

Symptoms of Normal Grief in Kids

Behaviors: sleeplessness, sighing, verbal attacks, loss of appetite, listlessness, fighting, poor grades, absent mindedness, extreme quietness, crying, clinging, bed-wetting, nightmares, over activity, excessive touching, dreams of deceased, social withdrawal, excessive hugging, regressive behaviors, hyperactivity

Thought patterns: inability to concentrate, preoccupation, confusion, disbelief, low self-image, self-destructive thoughts, difficulty making decisions, increase in nightmares/dreams, idealization of past and/or future

Feelings: anger, depression, guild, hysteria, fear, intense feelings, loneliness, feeling unreal, anxiety, rage, sadness, relief, mood swings, helplessness, yearning and pining

Physical symptoms: headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, dry mouth, dizziness, pounding heart, hot or cold flashes, heaviness of body, sensitive skin, increased illness, empty feeling in body, tightness in aches, muscle weakness, tightness in throat, stomachaches