I Miss You: Grief and Mental Health Books for Kids (A First Look at…Series)

Price: $8.99 - $6.07
(as of Oct 08, 2024 07:41:02 UTC – Details)

When a close friend or family member dies, it can be sad for kids and difficult for them to express the big feelings they are experiencing. This book will help explain in a gentle way that death is a natural complement to life and that grief and a sense of loss are normal feelings to have following the death of a loved one. 

Parents, teachers, and gift givers will find:

language that is simple, direct, and easy for young children to understanda helpful tool for coping with loss and griefa book about bereavement written by a psychotherapist and counselora whole series of books for children to explore mental health and emotional issues

The A First Look At series promotes positive interaction among children, parents, and teachers, and encourages kids to ask questions and confront difficult social and emotional questions. Books feature appealing full-color illustrations on every page plus a page of advice to parents and teachers.

What parents and educators are saying:

I highly recommend this book for anyone struggling with how to help their children deal with their grief.The book did a wonderful job of presenting the facts about life and death, as well as explaining, and therefore preparing her for, the funeral and memorial service we attended.There are good questions towards the end that can help to get little ones talking about how they are feeling.This little book was a great and gentle way to introduce death and feelings associated with loss to my almost 4-year-old son. I recommend it.

From the Publisher

About the Author

Pat Thomas is an author, journalist, and campaigner specializing in the field of environment and health. She qualified as a transpersonal psychotherapist in 1991 at the Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling Education in London. She currently lives in London, England.

I MISS YOU

A First Look at Death

Books in the “First Look At…series promote interaction among children, parents, and teachers on social, health, and emotional issues.

This reassuring picture book explores the difficult issue of death for young children. Children’s feelings and questions about this sensitive subject are looked at in a simple but realistic way. This book helps them to understand their loss and to come to terms with their feelings.

From the book:

Every day someone is born…and every day someone dies. Death is a natural part of life. All living things grow, change, and eventually die. When someone you love dies it can feel as if your heart has been torn in two. It can feel as if a part of you is missing. As time goes on you will realize that no one is completely gone as long as you can remember the one you love.

How To Use This Book

Helping Children

Children need to feel that they participated in the grieving that goes on after the death of someone close. If possible, try to encourage the child to make something for the person who has passed away that might be included in the burial ceremony. Or, if old enough, let them read a poem at the funeral.

Feelings

When a family member dies, it can be very difficult for all members of the family to express their feelings. Sometimes parents get so caught up in their own grief that they forget that their children are grieving too. Try to remember that you are all in this together and that you need each other’s support. Death, especially if it is untimely, is difficult for adults to make sense of. It is even harder for children, who have much less experience in the world.

Showing Grief

If the child is your own or close to you, then let them see you grieving. This is how they learn about handling grief. If they see you hiding grief away, that is what they will do. If they see you allowing grief to be a part of your life, then they too will be able to allow themselves to grieve.

Allow Them to Be Sad

Let children mourn in your presence without the need for it to make sense. And allow them to be sad without giving in to your natural inclination to make everything better.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sourcebooks Explore; 1st edition (January 1, 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0764117645
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0764117640
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 – 7 years, from customers
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD600L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool – 2
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.25 x 0.25 x 9.5 inches