Key Takeaways

  • Talking openly about loved ones who’ve passed helps children process grief naturally
  • Building support networks through faith and community creates pathways to healing
  • Transforming personal loss into collective strength offers hope to other grieving families

 

Here’s something most parents dread thinking about: how do you talk to your kids about death? And not just any death—the loss of someone they loved deeply. It’s the conversation nobody wants to have, yet when tragedy strikes, we’re thrown into uncharted territory where every word feels inadequate and every silence feels too heavy.

Bridget Sakr knows this territory intimately. After losing her daughter Veronique, she faced the heart-wrenching task of helping her son Michael navigate grief whilst drowning in her own. What she discovered about parenting through grief challenges everything we typically think about protecting our children from pain.

When Loss Changes Everything

Let’s be honest—when you lose someone you love, the world doesn’t stop. Bills still need paying, work still demands attention, and if you’re a parent, little humans still need breakfast, help with homework, and someone to tuck them in at night. Bridget found herself in this impossible position, trying to hold space for her own grief whilst being the steady presence Michael needed.

But here’s what makes Bridget’s approach so powerful: she didn’t hide Veronique’s memory away like a fragile thing too painful to touch. Instead, she wove her daughter’s presence into their everyday lives. Simple things—visiting places Veronique loved, doing activities the siblings used to share together. Bridget explains it this way: “It’s not foreign to speak of those we’ve lost when we regularly invite them into our narratives.”

Think about that for a moment. Children and grief don’t exist in separate worlds. Kids respond better to experiences than explanations. When Michael participated in activities that connected him to his sister’s memory, conversations about Veronique flowed naturally. He wasn’t forced to “process his grief” in some clinical way—he was simply living with her memory as part of his reality.

The Power of Permission

Here’s something Bridget discovered that changed how she approached grief counselling and support: when we talk openly about our loved ones who’ve passed, we give permission for others to open up. It’s like unlocking a door that everyone’s been standing outside, afraid to knock.

“You never get over the loss of a loved one,” Bridget says. “Instead, they come with you wherever you go.” This isn’t about moving on or getting closure—those phrases that people throw around when they’re uncomfortable with ongoing grief. It’s about integration. It’s about making space for both the pain and the love, the absence and the presence.

For parents navigating loss with their children, this perspective is transformative. We’re not trying to help our kids “get over it.” We’re showing them how to carry love forward, how to honour memory whilst still engaging fully with life.

What Faith and Community Actually Offer

Monsignor Shora cuts through all the religious platitudes people often throw at grieving families. His insight? “The answer is your being present with them.” Not empty reassurances. Not explanations about God’s plan. Just presence.

This matters deeply for parents trying to support grieving children. Michael didn’t need complex theological frameworks—he needed his mum showing up, day after day, creating space for his emotions whilst modelling how faith provides hope without denying pain.

Bridget’s connection with Our Lady became her lifeline: “Our faith is what gets you up because it gives you hope.” But notice she doesn’t say faith removes the grief. It coexists with it. Faith provides a framework for meaning-making without demanding we suppress genuine emotion.

Even anger has its place. Bridget acknowledges that many people struggle with faith amid grief, feeling abandoned or betrayed by God. There’s profound wisdom in recognising that expressing genuine emotion—even rage—often restores faith over time more effectively than forced positivity.

Building Networks That Actually Help

After Veronique’s death, Bridget channelled her grief into creating Heartfelt—a community for families experiencing loss and trauma. This wasn’t about turning tragedy into a silver lining or finding the “blessing in disguise.” It was about recognising that mutual support and understanding provide connection when isolation threatens to swallow you whole.

For parents navigating grief whilst supporting grieving children, these networks become essential. Bridget integrated psychological support for Michael, understanding that holistic care means addressing grief from multiple angles. Professional grief counselling, faith community support, shared experiences with other families—all these elements work together.

Your Journey Forward

If you’re reading this whilst navigating loss with your children, know this: there’s no perfect way to do this. You’ll say the wrong thing sometimes. You’ll cry when you meant to be strong. You’ll feel like you’re failing when you’re actually doing the bravest thing possible—showing your kids that grief and love are intertwined, that it’s okay to hurt, and that healing doesn’t mean forgetting.

The conversation you’re having with your children about loss might be the hardest thing you’ve ever done. But by talking openly, building support networks, and allowing faith to coexist with honest emotion, you’re teaching them something profound: that love doesn’t end with death, and that healing happens in community, not isolation.

Ready to Find Support for Your Family?

Navigating grief whilst parenting requires tremendous courage. You don’t have to do this alone. Hills Sanctuary House offers specialised grief counselling that honours your family’s unique journey through loss. Our therapists understand the complexities of parenting through grief and can provide the support you need to help your children process loss whilst tending to your own healing.

Your willingness to seek help isn’t weakness—it’s the strongest thing you can do for your family. What would it mean for your children to see you reaching out for support, modelling that asking for help is part of healing?

Contact Hills Sanctuary House today to explore how professional grief support can create pathways to hope for your entire family.