Healing a Parent's Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas After Your Child Dies

by Alan D. Wolfelt

Presenting simple yet highly effective methods for coping and healing, this book provides answers and relief to parents trying to deal with the loss of a child. It offers 100 practical, action-oriented tips for embracing grief, such as writing a letter to the child who has died; spending time with others who will listen to stories of grief; creating a memory book, box, or Web site; and remembering others who may still be struggling with the death. The guide also addresses common problems for grieving parents, including dealing with marital stress, helping surviving siblings, dealing with hurtful advice, and exploring feelings of guilt. This compassionate resource will aid parents who have been through the death of a child—whether the passing happened recently or many years ago, whether the child was young or an adult.

Genres: Grief, Nonfiction, Self Help

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lost my 29 year old son unexpectedly September 28, 2018. As you can imagine, losing a child is the most overwhelming, horrific grief one can ever experience. I had lots of friends and family offering their love and support. I was given several books on loss and grief. Here's what I learned....no matter how much of an avid reader one is, if you are experiencing grief so profound you can hardly breathe, you are not going to open a 3 or 4 inch thick book on grief to get advice or answers. A lady whom I had never met reached out to me. She knew my son because our boys had grown up together. She lost her son 2 years prior. She told me she had a book that she would like to send me. This is the book she sent. I immediately opened it because I wasn't so overwhelmed. It was short, direct and easy to read. It was just what I needed and what I continue to refer to. Sadly, I have had 3 friends lost sons just since losing my son. I sent this book to all 3 of them. Oh, and it was through this book that I learned of Compassionate Friends, a support group for grieving parents.

By the way, there is also one for siblings.

[Martin G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical, easy to read, with many good ideas

This book helped me in practical ways as I faced the loss of my son. One idea it helped me employ: a visible symbol of grief to wear for a year, to let others know that I am in a period of bereavement.

[Gillian Murr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was another simple read. The ideas were practical and helpful. One that stuck with me, and is still helping me, was the suggestion to make a T chart and on one side list what I thought grieving looked like, and on the other side, what it is actually (for me.)

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative

Like it. Very informative in layman's terms. And slight ideas on how to go through grief. Will reread it again.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bullet points and short length helped me get through a book when everything is impossible. Good suggestions of tactical things to do.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

While some ideas are applicable for perinatal loss, this text is more appropriate for the death of an older child.