How to Help a Child Handle Father's Day After a Father's Death

How a child handles death and grieves the loss of her father is largely dependent on her age, the circumstances surrounding the death, and how significant others in the child's life cope with the death. There are times that will be particularly hard for the child to cope. Read on to learn how to help the child make it through Father's Day.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Create an environment where the child feels free to express her feelings. Do not try to ignore the fact that it is Father's Day and a key player in the holiday is missing. Encourage the child to talk to you about what she is feeling on Father's Day.
2. Share your own feelings of sadness with the child. Sometimes the surviving parent or caregiver tries to be a pillar of strength for the grieving child. Letting the child know that you are sad assures him that it is alright for him to be sad and miss his father.
3. Start a new tradition that includes the deceased father in the Father's Day celebration. Encourage the child to write a poem about her father or draw a picture of him. Consider planting a tree in his honor or start a practice of volunteering together on Father's Day. Spending a few hours serving lunch at the local soup kitchen or visiting elderly men at an area nursing home is a nice way to pay tribute to the deceased.
4. Plan something fun for Father's Day. A trip to the zoo, a picnic in the park or a matinee movie may help the day pass less painfully and can help to fill in the gap that is caused by the absence of the father.
5. Celebrate the day with another adult male that is close to the child such as an uncle or a grandfather.
6. Visit the grave site of the deceased father and bring flowers if this is part of your family's belief system. You can also have the child make a Father's Day card or picture and hang it on the headstone.