Missing Dad

Description

Missing Dad is a story about a child whose father has died by suicide, and how to talk to a child about the death. If children are not told the truth they may make up stories about the death. Talking about mental illness and suicide takes away the stigma and opens up lines of communication when the child is developmentally ready.

Provide a safe place for telling the story, listen without trying to take away their pain, and remember that no two children grieve in the same way. Provide simple but truthful information such as ‘he hurt himself and his body stopped working.’ This story explains the grief process according to the four tasks of mourning in terms a child can understand: Accepting and understanding death; feeling the feelings; adjusting to life without Dad; and internalising the memories and building resilience.