Open Discussion Forum

I am retired, most recently as a community college English professor. Before those years, I was in Early Childhood Education for several years, professionally as the Director of a relatively small preschool that was part of a church's community outreach program. We were one of the programs to be accredited when Accreditation was still very new. I also spent 13 years at home with young children of my own, able to afford the privilege of being an at-home mom by choice. Part of that privilege, for me, was the opportunity to devour every book about child development I could buy or borrow (repeatedly) from the three libraries we frequented. That education is what ultimately qualified me to be the Director of the preschool. This is just to explain why I'm here. My grandson, 15 months old, has revived my desire to find out all I can about child development today. My son spent the first year as an at-home fulltime father. They have a beautiful bond that I love to watch at work.

OK--to my question. I have begun thinking about grief in very young children recently because of some family tragedies I've read about or heard about on the news. I am also a writer, still working to be published, but, hey, I've only been intentionally working at writing every day for a few months. The novel I am working on explores the grief process for the five children (from 9 yrs. to 7 weeks) and the aunt who "inherits" them, reluctantly at first. I've explored children's literature for some outstanding books about grief, some for toddlers and preschoolers. But I am not finding much information about the psychology and sociology of the grief process for toddlers and preschoolers. I want to be certain I am presenting that part of the novel accurately. One of the major characters is a 3 yrs. old boy who is very verbal and intensely emotional. He is having a very hard time figuring out what to do, think, put words to, etc. about the freak accidental death of both parents caused by a grieving drunk driver. The little boy has deep, racking, sobbing "grief attacks," as his aunt calls them, which I want to describe accurately. Do any of you know about any resources (books, articles, etc.) to help me get this done "right." It is fiction, but I don't want to gloss over or present a child's grief process inaccurately. One of the book's themes is the rough and bumpy grief journey one must get through to begin returning to a relatively normal life. I want the novel to carry a realistic and believable experience for the children and their aunt who is totally without parental experience.

Or has anyone worked with grieving children in your daycare setting?

I will of course document any resources I use to educate myself for writing this book. And I will definitely document to this Discussion Board.
Peggy Fish-Oliver

I am retired, most recently as a community college English professor. Before those years, I was in Early Childhood Education for several years, professionally as the Director of a relatively small preschool that was part of a church's community outreach program. We were one of the programs to be accredited when Accreditation was still very new. I also spent 13 years at home with young children of my own, able to afford the privilege of being an at-home mom by choice. Part of that privilege, for me, was the opportunity to devour every book about child development I could buy or borrow (repeatedly) from the three libraries we frequented. That education is what ultimately qualified me to be the Director of the preschool. This is just to explain why I'm here. My grandson, 15 months old, has revived my desire to find out all I can about child development today. My son spent the first year as an at-home fulltime father. They have a beautiful bond that I love to watch at work.

OK--to my question. I have begun thinking about grief in very young children recently because of some family tragedies I've read about or heard about on the news. I am also a writer, still working to be published, but, hey, I've only been intentionally working at writing every day for a few months. The novel I am working on explores the grief process for the five children (from 9 yrs. to 7 weeks) and the aunt who "inherits" them, reluctantly at first. I've explored children's literature for some outstanding books about grief, some for toddlers and preschoolers. But I am not finding much information about the psychology and sociology of the grief process for toddlers and preschoolers. I want to be certain I am presenting that part of the novel accurately. One of the major characters is a 3 yrs. old boy who is very verbal and intensely emotional. He is having a very hard time figuring out what to do, think, put words to, etc. about the freak accidental death of both parents caused by a grieving drunk driver. The little boy has deep, racking, sobbing "grief attacks," as his aunt calls them, which I want to describe accurately. Do any of you know about any resources (books, articles, etc.) to help me get this done "right." It is fiction, but I don't want to gloss over or present a child's grief process inaccurately. One of the book's themes is the rough and bumpy grief journey one must get through to begin returning to a relatively normal life. I want the novel to carry a realistic and believable experience for the children and their aunt who is totally without parental experience.

Or has anyone worked with grieving children in your daycare setting?

I will of course document any resources I use to educate myself for writing this book. And I will definitely document to this Discussion Board.
Peggy Fish-Oliver

I am retired, most recently as a community college English professor. Before those years, I was in Early Childhood Education for several years, professionally as the Director of a relatively small preschool that was part of a church's community outreach program. We were one of the programs to be accredited when Accreditation was still very new. I also spent 13 years at home with young children of my own, able to afford the privilege of being an at-home mom by choice. Part of that privilege, for me, was the opportunity to devour every book about child development I could buy or borrow (repeatedly) from the three libraries we frequented. That education is what ultimately qualified me to be the Director of the preschool. This is just to explain why I'm here. My grandson, 15 months old, has revived my desire to find out all I can about child development today. My son spent the first year as an at-home fulltime father. They have a beautiful bond that I love to watch at work.

OK--to my question. I have begun thinking about grief in very young children recently because of some family tragedies I've read about or heard about on the news. I am also a writer, still working to be published, but, hey, I've only been intentionally working at writing every day for a few months. The novel I am working on explores the grief process for the five children (from 9 yrs. to 7 weeks) and the aunt who "inherits" them, reluctantly at first. I've explored children's literature for some outstanding books about grief, some for toddlers and preschoolers. But I am not finding much information about the psychology and sociology of the grief process for toddlers and preschoolers. I want to be certain I am presenting that part of the novel accurately. One of the major characters is a 3 yrs. old boy who is very verbal and intensely emotional. He is having a very hard time figuring out what to do, think, put words to, etc. about the freak accidental death of both parents caused by a grieving drunk driver. The little boy has deep, racking, sobbing "grief attacks," as his aunt calls them, which I want to describe accurately. Do any of you know about any resources (books, articles, etc.) to help me get this done "right." It is fiction, but I don't want to gloss over or present a child's grief process inaccurately. One of the book's themes is the rough and bumpy grief journey one must get through to begin returning to a relatively normal life. I want the novel to carry a realistic and believable experience for the children and their aunt who is totally without parental experience.

Or has anyone worked with grieving children in your daycare setting?

I will of course document any resources I use to educate myself for writing this book. And I will definitely document to this Discussion Board.
Peggy Fish-Oliver

I am retired, most recently as a community college English professor. Before those years, I was in Early Childhood Education for several years, professionally as the Director of a relatively small preschool that was part of a church's community outreach program. We were one of the programs to be accredited when Accreditation was still very new. I also spent 13 years at home with young children of my own, able to afford the privilege of being an at-home mom by choice. Part of that privilege, for me, was the opportunity to devour every book about child development I could buy or borrow (repeatedly) from the three libraries we frequented. That education is what ultimately qualified me to be the Director of the preschool. This is just to explain why I'm here. My grandson, 15 months old, has revived my desire to find out all I can about child development today. My son spent the first year as an at-home fulltime father. They have a beautiful bond that I love to watch at work.

OK--to my question. I have begun thinking about grief in very young children recently because of some family tragedies I've read about or heard about on the news. I am also a writer, still working to be published, but, hey, I've only been intentionally working at writing every day for a few months. The novel I am working on explores the grief process for the five children (from 9 yrs. to 7 weeks) and the aunt who "inherits" them, reluctantly at first. I've explored children's literature for some outstanding books about grief, some for toddlers and preschoolers. But I am not finding much information about the psychology and sociology of the grief process for toddlers and preschoolers. I want to be certain I am presenting that part of the novel accurately. One of the major characters is a 3 yrs. old boy who is very verbal and intensely emotional. He is having a very hard time figuring out what to do, think, put words to, etc. about the freak accidental death of both parents caused by a grieving drunk driver. The little boy has deep, racking, sobbing "grief attacks," as his aunt calls them, which I want to describe accurately. Do any of you know about any resources (books, articles, etc.) to help me get this done "right." It is fiction, but I don't want to gloss over or present a child's grief process inaccurately. One of the book's themes is the rough and bumpy grief journey one must get through to begin returning to a relatively normal life. I want the novel to carry a realistic and believable experience for the children and their aunt who is totally without parental experience.

Or has anyone worked with grieving children in your daycare setting?

I will of course document any resources I use to educate myself for writing this book. And I will definitely document to this Discussion Board.
Peggy Fish-Oliver