The Grieving Student

by Charlotte Burrough, The Kids' Place

 With the new school year having just started, our attention turns to academic and behavioral expectations parents and teachers have of the students. Because of grief, some very capable students will be unable to satisfy those expectations.  Some children will be grieving because of the death of someone important to them, but other children will be performing below their abilities because of other losses that must be grieved. Some of those are moving away from friends, parents divorcing, repeating a grade, a relative being incarcerated –- and the list goes on.

 The impact of grief on children may be displayed in symptoms which are very similar to those of Attention Deficit Disorder – forgetfulness, disorganization, inability to stay focused, decreased interest in school activities, or lack of motivation. Physical symptoms of grief which those children and teens may be experiencing could include stomachaches, headaches, inability to eat (or eating too much), and sleeplessness (or sleeping too much). It is important to remember that children are not always resilient, and that the grief journey can be a very long one.