Key Concepts:
- Heart posture checks
- Reality reframes
- Expectation adjustments
- Creative rituals
- Healing posture matters
→ Pause and ask: What might my child be feeling beneath this behavior? Am I emotionally available right now? What does my child need most in this moment? These questions help shift you from reaction to connection.
→ Instead of “they’re acting out for attention,” try “they’re hurting and need connection.” Instead of “they need to get over it,” reframe to “they need time and support to process this.” Reframes help you see pain beneath the behavior.
→ Grief is not linear. Expect backslides, outbursts, and differences between siblings. Holidays, moves, or milestones can reopen wounds. Meeting these moments with grace helps kids feel understood.
→ Rituals give form to grief. Try lighting a candle, planting something symbolic, making a playlist, or drawing family “before and after” pictures. These small practices create safety and meaning in chaos.
→ When you model openness, presence, and authenticity, you teach kids that facing hard emotions builds strength, resilience, and emotional intelligence.
🧭 Bottom Line:
Parenting from a healing posture is less about fixing and more about presence. By softening your stance, reframing behaviors, expecting ups and downs, and using rituals, you create space for your child’s grief to be expressed and transformed into resilience.