Tips For Dealing With The Loss Of A Child During Christmas

No loss is more devastating than a parent losing a child. The death of a child is enough to break down the strongest of people and leave them feeling lost, hopeless, and in despair. This feeling is amplified and drudged up every year around Christmas time. Christmas is a holiday that is mostly about children. It can be difficult for the grieving parents to see other children tearing open presents with smiles on their faces. The pain is unimaginable, but there are ways that you and your spouse can deal with the loss of a child.

When dealing with a loss this difficult, it is important to make sure you have a solid support network of people you trust who are close to you that you can count on for love and support. This should include other family members who you are close to and friends of the family that share in the pain of your loss. Be sure to spend a lot of time with family during the holidays and be sure to find a few people in your network that you can talk openly with. Trying to hide or mask your feelings and emotions is absolutely the worst thing you can do. Have someone in your group that you can turn to who is good at listening. Sometimes what helps the most is just having someone there to let you cry on their shoulder.

Commemorate the holidays by creating a tradition that celebrates the life of your child. Rather than allowing the holidays to be strictly a reminder of what you lost, try and make it a celebration of what you had. One idea for this type of tradition is to buy a new Christmas ornament with the name of the child engraved on it along with the year. When you and your spouse hang up the ornament you can share fond memories and comfort each other. You can also have a get together with family where you share your favorite stories or just simply celebrate the child’s life in whatever way you wish.

Sometimes it is a good idea to just take a rest. The holidays and grief together can be tremendously exhausting. Take a small vacation somewhere or just stay at home and get some extra rest. Spend some extra time with the people you love in your support group. Some relaxation can go a long way in helping you to emotionally recover from grief.

By: Renee Wood, MSW

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Renee Wood founded The Comfort Company in 2000. She is a social worker that has helped families deal with the loss or pending loss of a child, as well as aiding patients in the end-stage of renal failure. The gifts provided by The Comfort Company offer memorial ideas as well as hope for healing hearts.