Question: I'm working with a girl who recently suffered the loss of her grandad and is struggling to cope. How do I support her?
Jeanie Lynch: The most important thing you can do is to give her time and space to talk about how she feels and allow her to be upset. I'm assuming her school and any other agencies working with her are aware of the situation as her attendance and ability to cope may be affected.
Giving this girl time to talk about grandad and the good times they spent together will help. She could write a letter to him telling him how she feels or create a "memory box" of special items such as photos and other reminders. Some children prefer to use drawings or poems to express their feelings.
The charity Winston's Wish has a website young people can use to help them cope with bereavement. Meanwhile the National Childhood Bereavement Network provides a web-based series of resources for professionals to help them support bereaved children and young people.
Jeanie Lynch works for Barnardo's and has 25 years' experience of working with vulnerable children and families
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