The effects of behaviour and development when a child suffer from a bereavement
The loss of someone close through death is a traumatic and painful event for the majority of people. For many children and young people the death of a parent, sibling, friend or relative can be extremely difficult because of the child’s inability to understand and articulate their feelings. Similarly young people who have been bereaved whilst they are on the cusp of adulthood can find the emotions that they are experiencing to be frighteningly intense.

Grief is individual and the processes of mourning are never the same between two people. However some of the responses to death and bereavement can be similar depending on the age, level of comprehension, relationship with the person who has died and the emotional resilience of the mourner.
The following responses are common

Alternating play and sadness
Members of the school staff may be the first to recognise changes in the bereaved child or young person’s behaviour outside of their immediate family, who may not have noticed if they too are grieving. Young children may appear to be sad and withdrawn one minute then might begin playing with building blocks or dolls the next. This is because unlike adults, bereaved children do not possess the emotional reserves to grieve continuously and they will need respite from their grief. Play allows the bereaved child to shift their focus from their grief, albeit for a short while, until they are sufficiently mentally restored to recommence grieving. It is of paramount importance not to view such play breaks as the child “getting over the death” because this is not only inaccurate but can lead to the child being chastised or criticised for attention seeking when they resume grieving. Play breaks are just that – momentary breaks from perpetual grief which the bereaved child does not have the