The communication that I observed was our guidance counselor sharing in a conversation with a small child whose father had just died. She had a book that she shared that talks about a leaf and how that leaf passes through the seasons and eventually falls from the tree and dies. She talked this child through the story making connections to the different seasons that we see each year and how that can be seen in the story of this leaf. She had the child draw a picture showing the trees in the different seasons and how the leaves looked on the trees during those times. She then connected it back to her father who had passed away. She had this child share something that she and her father had done together during each of the seasons. I felt like this book was an interesting way to discuss the death of her father. I have always struggled with death and young children and how to explain it. Because we have had so many of our children in our schools parents/grandparents (who are the primary caregivers) pass away I think that she might benefit from using a persona doll and create a story line that would address this issue. Persona dolls are not the same as puppets, but they offer some of the same benefits. Children are extremely willing to talk with them, and group discussions that include the dolls are opportunities to reflect on important social issues in a safe and relaxed environment (Pierce & Johnson, 2010).
I have realized that I need to be more effective and creative when addressing issues that my children are dealing with. I think that learning how to use a persona doll would be a great way to address these issues while making conversation more comfortable.
References
Pierce, J., & Johnson, C. (2010). Problem solving with young children using persona dolls. YC: Young
Children, 65(6), 106-108.
Amy,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your post. Death is hard enough to deal with as an adult, but even moreso with children. The use of books can be a great tool. I lost my father about 2 months ago and a friend of mine sent me a book called "Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss" by Pat Schwiebert. Even though it is technically a children's book, I found it very valuable. This might be a book worth investing in. Thank you for sharing your observations.
Amy, your blog post was really thought provoking. I also find death a difficult concept to discuss with young children. I received the book, Tear Soup, referenced in Rene’s comment, when I lost my mother. Although it is a beautiful book, I was not able to use it with my youngest child. I could not manage my own grief well enough to read the book with her. I think the guidance counselor’s approach that you shared seems very positive and healthy. I sounds as though she let the child’s responses guide their communication, and used reflective listening. In conducting self-assessment as part of the Program Improvement Plan for our state QRIS, we determined that training on helping children manage grief and trauma is an area for improvement. At some point, this need will emerge in our program. I am conflicted about this subject because of the pain of death in my own family, but like you, recognize the need to be more effective in addressing this kind of communication with the young children we serve. Thank you for helping to educate us on this topic. -Susan
ReplyDeleteHi Amy,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed and connected with reading your post. When I was a young girl my father passed away and I had someone tell me to hold on to something special that I did with my dad so that I can hold onto his memory. Writing and drawing are always excellent ways to help young children to express their feelings in a healthy way. Thank you.
Hi Amy,
ReplyDeleteI found your post most helpful. I am not familiar with this book, but I plan to get a copy. Last year, I had a child to lose his mother in a car accident. It is a terrible tragedy for a child when losing a parent as it is at any age. It sounds like you have a great guidance counselor at your school. Thanks for sharing.
Amy