The Grief Of Having Children Who Grow Up
Huff PostCatherine Falls Commercial via Getty Images “I love you!” I shouted out the car window as my son walked into his first day of middle school. The Cleveland Clinic defines grief as “the experience of coping with loss,” and it’s this element that makes grief more intense and multilayered than sadness. “People feel grief at different times during their parenting journey as their children grow up,” Kahn said. Bartley told HuffPost that parenting in and of itself is a grieving process: “From the beginning we’re tasked with constantly letting go of our child with every phase.” This process is developmentally appropriate, and Khan emphasized to HuffPost that parents don’t need to feel guilty when this emotion occurs because the experience is universal. As my son grows up, I find it harder to let him move further away, and it’s here Bartley advised parents to be gentle with themselves when they’re in this space and to “hold yourself like you do your child.” Get Our Lifestyle Coverage Ad-Free HuffPost is your trusted source to help you lead a better life.
History of this topic
My 3-Year-Old Helped Me Process My Stillbirth Grief
Huff Post
How to help a child through grief
The Independent
Nicole Kidman's Heartbreaking Reaction To Her Parents' Death Nails This 1 Part Of Grief
Huff Post
Why it’s ok to grieve for your pre-child life
The Independent
‘I became an orphan in my twenties. This is how I learned to cope’
The Independent
What The Death Of My Daughter Is Teaching Me About Grief
Huff Post
Why grieving for a parent while trying to raise children is one of the most complex juggling acts in the world
The IndependentDiscover Related