Dealing with grief is difficult even when you don’t have children to raise. As parent, it can be tempting to focus on them and forget about dealing with your own grief. It is especially difficult if the loss you are mourning is one of your own children. Here are some of the strategies that you can employ in order to cope with your loss.
Take Time
Taking the time to really grieve is something that may be the last thing on your mind when you have children. This is because you want to focus on helping your kids deal with their loss and not analyze how you’re feeling. It’s important that you give yourself time to adjust to your new dynamic. If you skip out on this important step, you’re doing your kids a huge disservice. Parents who bottle up their emotions generally have children who suffer for it in the long run.
Talk It Out
Talking and sharing your emotions is a good place to start. Some people choose to do this with a friend or even a professional therapist. One option is to call a psychic medium hotline in order to get some closure. Expressing your emotions to your kids is also a part of the healing process for everyone. It’s okay to let your kids know that you’re sad or having a hard time right now. It gives them a better understanding and may make them more comfortable talking about their feelings.
Get Assistance
The everyday tasks may be more than you can handle right now. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, but of strength of character. It shows that you’ve identified that you can’t do it all by yourself. You may want to have someone else take your kids for the day so that you can be by yourself and think things over. Even asking your kids to help out around the house could be a good way to reconnect with your family. Exhibiting your emotions helps to start the healing process.
Focus on Self-care
Don’t forget to take care of yourself first. Your kids will be better off if you aren’t an emotional train wreck. Eating, exercising, and getting enough sleep are crucial when it comes to being able to cope with your grief. You have to care for yourself in order to be the best parent possible for your kids. This will set a good example for them as well.
Dealing with grief is something that each person does differently. Use these tips to help you cope with your grief and still be a good parent.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan