“But They Don’t Understand!: How to Support Grieving Kids from Birth to 5 years

It is a common misconception that young children are unaware of what is going on around them, and this is believed even more so after a death.  However, children are quite perceptive and while they may not articulate their experiences well verbally, they use all 5 senses to learn about the world and can tell when things around them have changed.  Join us to learn more about how to support our youngest grievers and why it is important to give them information and allow them space to process and heal. 

Takeways:

• Explore in-depth normal development in children aged 0-5 years.
• Discuss grief symptoms in 0-5 year olds and how grief can disrupt typical development.  
• Learn ways to share information about a death with 0-5 year olds and how to respond to questions.  

Presenter:

Lendy Chapman, MS, CCLS

Lendy Chapman, a Certified Child Life Specialist with 20+ years of experience, has provided child life services for over 15 years at a local children’s hospital.  She’s supported children and families in various units including the ER, NICU, PICU, and Hem/Onc.  Actively involved in the Association of Child Life Professionals, Lency has presented at national conferences and served on committees.  She earned her Masters from Boston University in 2015.  Lendy also serves as an adjunct instructor at the University of Central Florida, preparing future professionals.  Currently, she works at Blue Butterfly Family Grief Center, counseling grieving children and providing support to families.  

This training is for individuals across the U.S. and beyond through a collaboration with Tidewell Grief Center, the community counseling program of Empath Health and Tidewell Hospice.

2 CEs ($10) available through CEBrokers for Florida LCSW, LMHC, LMFT, and Certified Master Social Worker.  Certificates are provided for self-reporting.