Your Questions About Death and Grief, Answered

How do you support your child through grief when you’re grieving too? In this Q&A edition of the Thriving Kids Podcast, Dr. Dave Anderson answers your top questions about helping kids navigate death, loss, and big emotions. He covers how to support neurodivergent kids when grief shows up as anger or outbursts, whether it’s okay to talk about death directly, how to explain loss to young children, what to do when waves of sadness hit out of nowhere, how much to show your own emotions, when grief becomes something more serious, and even the surprising role imaginary friends can play in healing. Have a question for Dr. Dave? Email podcast@childmind.org What you’ll learn • “All feelings are welcome, all behaviors are not” — validating emotion while holding boundaries • How grief can look different in kids with ADHD or ODD — and how to respond • The clearest language to use when telling a child someone has died • What not to say when trying to soften the news • How to talk to a 5-year-old about loss in three simple steps • Why grief comes in unpredictable waves — and how to help kids ride them • How to model healthy coping when your child sees you cry • Signs that suggest it may be time to seek additional support • How pretend play and imaginary friends can actually aid the healing process