These are not articles to hand a child. They are visual guides — made to be opened side by side, with you doing the talking and the pictures doing part of the holding. Every guide is built from published research on how children understand death, and from what bereaved families actually found helpful.
The cornerstone guide. Why a picture helps, how to let your child choose the image, what to do about the ninth question — and why who answers matters more than what you say.
WordsReal words instead of euphemisms, sample scripts by age, and one honest line for the questions nobody can answer.
The numbers1 in 11 by age 18. Who is most at risk, what the first two years mean, and the published counts behind these guides.
The peak windowWhy that window is when presence matters most — Family Bereavement Program trials, continuing bonds, and what to do this week.
When it stays stuckProlonged grief disorder is the clinical name. What it is called, what it is not, warning signs, and when extra help exists — without turning a child into a diagnosis.
The scienceRituals, farewells, and when grief gets stuck — in plain language, from the clinical literature. Includes why our films never talk back.
PetsFor many children this is the first death they ever meet. How to walk them through it — and why the rainbow bridge story, used well, is a gift.
The filmYou've made a film. Here's how to turn one quiet viewing into a ritual your child can return to — pause buttons, goodnight rituals, and what to watch for afterward.
These guides are for supportive adults, not a substitute for professional care. If a child's grief feels stuck — sleep falling apart, guilt that won't lift, months of withdrawal — a children's grief counselor is the right next step, and reaching for one is a sign of good parenting, not failure.