Our Weekly Tip: Plan Childcare In Advance of Bereavement

Our Tip of the Week: In this day and age, with advanced medical care available to almost everyone, most deaths can be anticipated in advance. Even when someone has a terminal illness, there is usually time to plan for the inevitable. Conversely, sudden deaths due to accident or violence are much less common today. Many people recover from grave injuries who would not have survived in the past.

With this in mind, SevenPonds offers you a tip to reduce your stress levels when you come to that moment when, no matter how much time you’ve had to prepare, you need space to grieve. We recommend that you prepare your child — and yourself — during the precious time before a loved one dies.

Credit: chroniclelive.co.uk

How-to Suggestion: Let the people who take responsibility for your child’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being on a regular basis know that your child’s home life will shift in the near future. Then, take time to think about the questions that will arise when your loved one dies. Will you want to have your child close by your side with family during the time of remembering and goodbyes? If not, what arrangements for childcare will you need to make? Will you and your child need to travel for a funeral? If so, ask your child’s school teachers to give homework in advance so they don’t fall behind.

Does your child attend a regular spiritual or religious gathering such as sweat lodge or Sunday school? Let that community know that your child will need extra emotional support soon. Ask your community for help with childcare, especially for the young ones. This will give you time to be with your own grief process and to take care of the many other details that this transitional period requires.