How to cope with sibling loss

The grief of losing a sibling can feel insurmountable. However, there are ways to manage that grief without shoving it aside or letting it overwhelm you. Giving yourself time to grieve, leaning on friends and family for support, and incorporating self-care practices into your routine are all ways to cope with such a substantial loss.

Helping Sophie navigate her grief journey after the loss of her sister is a challenge for us as bereaved parents. Today I am sharing a guest post from Lianna Champ about how to help a child cope with sibling loss.

Very few resources exist for sibling grief. What I am learning is eye opening. I expected it to be. Here are 6 things I feel I should share.

Sibling grief is often misunderstood—by parents, families, friends, and counselors, even by the siblings themselves. Families can help siblings heal and adjust

Very few resources exist for sibling grief. What I am learning is eye opening. I expected it to be. Here are 6 things I feel I should share.

Never

Hello. This letter is to you, and just you. You are grieving as part of a family group, yes – but you have your own unique grief as a sibling, and you need your own letter. I cannot say that I “welcome” you into this club that no one wants to join. But I want you to know that you are not alone. There are many of us, bereaved siblings, too many. We can be hard to find, and our status is not often obvious. Especially when we’ve lost our siblings as adults, when we no longer live day-to-day…

Sibling grief

These Precious Little People is a tribute to all babies gone too soon. The ones who were so loved, so wanted, but for various reasons, couldn’t stay. It is a book written for families who have been affected by the death of a baby (at any stage of pregnancy, during labour or soon after birth).

Acceptance, Grief, Loss of a Sibling, FINAL DRAFT!! In loving memory of Mark, my baby brother.

The cracks were probably there before, but my brother's death and the devastating grief split them wide open. The close-knit family we once were is gone. We tried to hold on, but grief changed us, and pulled us in different directions, and all that remains is echos of what we used to be. #siblingloss #siblinggrief #siblinggriefclub #siblinglossawareness #siblinglosssurvivor #grievingsister #grievingsibling #disenfranchisedgrief Reposted from @the_grieving_sister_

"No longer having a sister has been tough for me, and seeing a counselor gave me a chance to acknowledge and work through those feelings—without it turning into resentment directed at Jake. Very important!"