NOTES FROM GRIEF

An illustrated Latino school counselor talks with a 13-year-old Black student at a round table beside a wall calendar with one date circled, while Grief sits attentively in the extra chair.

Helping Students Through Grief Anniversaries

Grief anniversaries can resurface for years. Here's a simple, year-round system school counselors can use to track dates, plan with students, and keep support going across grade levels.

School & Community Support

16 minutes ago3 min read

An illustrated white mother, six-year-old girl, and twelve-year-old boy plan the holidays with a paper calendar and sticky notes while Grief joins their circle holding a note.

A First Look Guide: Preparing a Grieving Child for the Holidays Ahead

The anticipation of the holidays can be harder than the days themselves. This first look guide helps you plan ahead with your grieving child — what to keep, change, skip, and remember.

Holidays and Milestones

33 minutes ago3 min read

An illustrated ten-year-old Middle Eastern or North African girl and her grandfather add notes to a memory jar at the kitchen table while Grief reads one of the notes.

Grief and Gratitude Can Sit at the Same Table

Grieving children can feel pressured to be thankful in November. Here's how to help kids hold grief and gratitude together — without forcing either one.

Holidays and Milestones

5 days ago3 min read

An illustrated mixed-heritage family sits at a Thanksgiving table with one empty chair holding a photo, candle, and autumn leaf while a seven-year-old Indigenous or mixed-heritage boy looks toward it and Grief sits beside it.

The Empty Chair at Thanksgiving: How to Talk About Who's Missing

After a death, the empty chair at Thanksgiving is hard to ignore. Here's how to talk with kids about who's missing, honor them at the table, and give everyone room to feel.

Holidays and Milestones

5 days ago3 min read

Four illustrated children of different ages and backgrounds wear blue and hold paper butterflies alongside Grief, who wears a blue scarf, for Children’s Grief Awareness Day.

National Children's Grief Awareness Day — How to Mark It

Children's Grief Awareness Day is Thursday, November 19, 2026. Here's why it matters and simple ways families, schools, and communities can help grieving kids feel less alone.

School & Community Support

5 days ago3 min read

An illustrated Latina grandmother, mother, and approximately 8-year-old Latina girl arrange marigolds, candles, a family photo, water, and pan dulce on a home ofrenda while Grief holds a marigold nearby.

Día de los Muertos: A Beautiful Example of Remembering Out Loud

Día de los Muertos shows how remembering the dead can be joyful, colorful, and full of love. Here's what this tradition can teach all of us about supporting grieving children.

Holidays and Milestones

Oct 23 min read

An illustrated East Asian boy around age seven in a dinosaur costume holds his mother’s hand on a Halloween sidewalk while Grief walks beside him carrying a pumpkin bucket.

Halloween, Skeletons, and "Scary" Death Talk

Skeletons, tombstones, and zombie costumes can land differently for a grieving child. Here's how to prepare, offer choices, and answer the big questions Halloween brings up.

Holidays and Milestones

Oct 13 min read

An illustrated six-year-old biracial boy laughs while chasing bubbles with Grief as his grandmother watches warmly and a family photo rests nearby.

Is It Okay for a Child to Feel Happy While Grieving?

A grieving child who laughs, plays, or feels genuinely happy isn't doing something wrong. Here's why joy and grief coexist, and how to help a child feel okay about both.

Holidays and Milestones

Aug 112 min read

An illustrated ten-year-old Latina girl holds an award ribbon and bouquet beside her mother and Grief while an empty audience chair holds a family photo and flower.

When Someone Is Missing at a Milestone

A graduation, a big game, a recital — the milestones a child works hard for can also be the moments grief resurfaces most sharply. Here's how to prepare for and support a child through it.

Holidays and Milestones

Aug 112 min read

An illustrated seven-year-old South Asian girl sits with family, Grief, a birthday cake, gifts, and a small remembrance candle beside a framed photo.

Helping Children Through Birthdays and Holidays After a Loss

A birthday can be one of the hardest days on the calendar after a loss — whether it's the child's own birthday or the birthday of the person who died. Here's how to approach both.

Holidays and Milestones

Aug 112 min read

An illustrated nine-year-old boy looks through a family memory box beside a height chart while Grief sits close and a parent remains nearby.

Why Grief Can Return Months or Years Later

Grief doesn't move in a straight line, and it doesn't expire on a schedule. Here's why a child's grief can resurface long after everyone assumed it had faded — and why that's normal.

Holidays and Milestones

Aug 112 min read

Grief and the Holidays: Traditions, Boundaries, and Permission to Feel Both

The days leading up to a holiday are often harder than the day itself. Here's how to help a child navigate traditions, extended family, and the strange, normal experience of feeling happy and sad in the same afternoon.

Holidays and Milestones

Aug 83 min read