Grief and Your Child: Sharing God's Comfort in Loss

When your child faces the loss of someone close, their world no longer feels safe. Grief and its aftermath take us all by surprise, but even more so children, who don’t have the words or tools to face grief and can respond with fear, withdrawal, and other behaviors. How do you help your child with their fear and sadness, especially if you are also grieving? How can you help them see that God is both big and loving?  

Counselor and author Bob Kellemen helps parents understand the challenges their child is facing and guides them in how to navigate with their child the long and difficult road of lament and recovery. Giving a child permission to grieve, practicing lingering listening, and sharing your own struggles and Scripture are all part of the process. As parents help children experience their grief face-to-face with Christ, they will discover that understanding his compassionate comfort is key to finding healing and hope. Because of Jesus’s resurrection, they can have the reassurance that life triumphs over death. 

Bob Kellemen is Academic Dean, Dean of Students, and Professor of Biblical Counseling at Faith Bible Seminary in Lafayette, Indiana. Bob is also the Founder and CEO of RPM Ministries, through which he speaks, writes, and consults on biblical counseling and Christian living. Dr. Kellemen served as the founding Executive Director of the Biblical Counseling Coalition. Bob and his wife, Shirley, have been married for forty years and have two adult children and three granddaughters. He is the author of twenty books, including Gospel-Centered Counseling, Gospel Conversations, and Consider Your Counsel.