Supporting Children with loss
WAY member and ex-primary school deputy headteacher Emma Marfleet has put together a brilliant year of resources to help families who are navigating grief.
Emma's husband Tom died in June 2019 leaving her and their three boys to learn to live life without him. He had been diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer and 39 years old just two weeks before their third son was born. He died three and a half years later, aged 42. Emma shared her story with us here.
A year of books and activities to help navigate loss
"I don't want to miss that moment when one of my boys feels something new in their grief. I want to give opportunities for them to express themselves and I want to be there to give them my support. It isn't easy but these regular moments, perhaps only once a month, mean the world to me and I believe they do too for my boys, now and for their future.
I have a list of picture books I will read and a related activity that I will take time to do once a month with my boys for our ongoing relationship with their daddy.
I know they won't all want to be involved in every activity, especially my eldest two, and I know they will have heard these stories before, but I have learnt that they sometimes ask, perhaps that little bit later, to have a go at something they've seen me and my youngest do and I know they listen to me read the stories as they pass by his bedroom door at his bedtime.
I like those extra special moments when they quietly creep in and sit beside me on their younger brother's bed just to hear that story another time. Then those night-time cuddles hold that little bit stronger and longer, and I know my efforts are worthwhile." - Emma
Download a PDF of the book and activities below:
A Year of Activities (158.60 KB)
Download the PDFs above