When words are hard, begin here.

Gentle stories and practical tools for helping children understand

grief, one honest conversation at a time.

Find where to begin

Parent or Caregiver

A loss or a hard question just came up. Start here for words and an activity you can use today.

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Educator or Librarian

Preparing for a read-aloud or supporting a classroom. Start here for simple guidance.

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Counselor or Professional

Supporting a child or family in your care. Start here for ready-to-use tools.

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NOT SURE WHAT TO SAY?

Free printable guide with age-specific prompts to help begin difficult conversations with children - one gentle conversation at a time.

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25 GENTLE CONVERSATION STARTERS

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sometimes the hardest part
is knowing how
to begin.

From the Learn Section

What to say when a pet dies

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Books and Tools

Hi, I'm Grief

Emotional Exploration Workbook

The Three C's Workbook

An illustrated Latina grandmother, mother, and approximately 8-year-old Latina girl arrange marigolds, candles, a family photo, water, and pan dulce on a home ofrenda while Grief holds a marigold nearby.

Día de los Muertos: A Beautiful Example of Remembering Out Loud

Día de los Muertos shows how remembering the dead can be joyful, colorful, and full of love. Here's what this tradition can teach all of us about supporting grieving children.

3 min read

How to Explain Death to a Child, by Age

A practical, age-by-age guide to talking with children about death, from honest language for 4-6 year-olds to respecting a teenager's need for space.

3 min read

An illustrated East Asian boy around age seven in a dinosaur costume holds his mother’s hand on a Halloween sidewalk while Grief walks beside him carrying a pumpkin bucket.

Halloween, Skeletons, and "Scary" Death Talk

Skeletons, tombstones, and zombie costumes can land differently for a grieving child. Here's how to prepare, offer choices, and answer the big questions Halloween brings up.

3 min read

Explore All Articles

A LITTLE SUPPORT, SENT GENTLY.

Some days you'll find a new resource.
Some days, just a reminder that you aren't walking through this alone.

Join Grief's mailing list for thoughtful stories, practical tools, printable resources, and gentle encouragement delivered when you need it most.

FOLLOW @HI.GRIEF THROUGH THE EVERYDAY.

October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month.

This kind of loss is often carried quietly — sometimes without a name, a funeral, or the words to talk about it. But it's real grief, and it belongs here too.

If there's a child in your life who had a sibling who died before or shortly after birth, that child can grieve too — even without memories of their own. Their grief is real, even if it looks different from what we expect.

This month, we're making space for the losses that don't always get spoken about out loud. 💛

If this is your family's story, we see you.

#PregnancyAndInfantLossAwarenessMonth #InfantLossAwareness #PregnancyLoss #WaveOfLight

Not sure what to say to a grieving child?

You're not alone — and you don't need the perfect words. You just need a place to start.

I put together 25 Gentle Conversation Starters — simple, age-aware phrases you can use with a child who's grieving, whether the loss just happened or it's been years. No scripts to memorize, no clichés, just honest ways in.

It's free, and it's linked in my bio. 💛

What's a question a child has asked you that you weren't sure how to answer? I'd love to hear it below.

Two children can live through the same death and grieve in ways that look nothing alike.

One may want to talk. Another may go quiet. Another may return to play. None of those responses is a measure of how much they loved the person who died.

Each child had their own relationship with that person and may need their own kind of support. Try not to compare them. Make a little one-on-one space, ask what would help, and leave the invitation open if they aren't ready to talk.

And notice the child who becomes “the strong one.” They need room to be a child, too.

Read “Supporting Siblings Who Grieve Differently” in Notes From Grief. You can find Notes From Grief at the link in our bio.

#HiImGrief #SiblingGrief #GrievingChildren #childhoodgrief

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Source article: https://www.higrief.co/post/supporting-siblings-who-grieve-differently

Grief isn’t only about death.

When a family changes through divorce, separation, remarriage, a move, or another big shift, a child may miss the home, routines, time together, or picture of family life they counted on.

Naming that loss does not mean every change is wrong. It means we can be honest about what mattered to the child.

You might try:

“It makes sense to miss how things were.”
“This is not because of anything you did. It is not your job to fix it.”
“Here is what we know about this week…”

Keep adult conflict with adults. Offer specific plans instead of promises you cannot make. And when a new holiday, home, schedule, or relationship brings feelings back, make room for another conversation.

There is room for this kind of grief here, too. 🤍

Find the full article, “Grief Isn’t Just About Death: Divorce and Big Family Changes,” in Notes From Grief at HiGrief.co.

#HiImGrief #ChildrensGrief #FamilyChange #DivorceAndChildren

Three years ago, Grief got a name and a face.

The first Hi, I’m Grief book gave children a character they could meet. It also gave families a gentle place to begin talking about loss.

Then the conversation grew. The workbooks gave big feelings somewhere to go: onto a page, into a prompt, through coloring, writing, noticing, and connection.

Next, the circle widened. higrief.co was built for the adults standing around a grieving child: parents, educators, and counselors. It offers free downloads, age-by-age guidance, practical resources, and paths to more support when a book isn’t enough.

Now Hi, I’m Grief has a new edition, and the Emotional Exploration Workbook has been revised with three years of learning woven into every page.

This was never meant to be only one book. It is a place children and the adults who care for them can return to whenever grief changes shape.

Explore the growing Hi, I’m Grief resource library at higrief.co.

Link in bio. 💛

#ChildrensGrief #GriefSupportForKids #GrievingChildren #ParentingThroughGrief

“Why does she keep asking me the same question?”

You may have answered carefully yesterday. And again this morning. Still, the question returns.

For some children—especially younger ones—repetition is part of making sense of a death. It does not mean they were not listening, or that you explained it badly. A child may also be checking what stays the same and what happens next.

In Post 3, we said that grief can ask for certainty. This is one way that can look.

Try giving the same short, truthful answer again. Use clear words such as “died” rather than phrases that might sound temporary. Then leave room for the question underneath: “Are you wondering what will happen tonight?”

If you do not know, you can say that honestly. Share the next step you can actually promise.

There is no perfect script. Your steady presence matters, even when the question comes back. 🤍

#HiImGrief #ChildrensGrief #TalkingAboutGrief #GriefSupport

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EDITORIAL SOURCES

- Dougy Center, How to Help a Child Who is Grieving: https://www.dougy.org/resource-articles/how-to-help-a-grieving-child-1
- Dougy Center, The Youngest Grievers (repeated questions and short concrete answers): https://www.dougy.org/assets/uploads/The-Youngest-Grievers_Book.pdf
- Child Bereavement UK, Explaining to a child that someone has died: https://www.childbereavementuk.org/explaining-to-a-child-that-someone-has-died
- Child Bereavement UK, Children’s understanding of death at different ages: https://www.childbereavementuk.org/childrens-understanding-of-death-at-different-ages?locale=en

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When words are hard, begin here.

Parent or Caregiver

Educator or Librarian

Counselor or Professional

NOT SURE WHAT TO SAY?

25 GENTLE CONVERSATION STARTERS

EMAIL REQUIRED TO ACCESS

sometimes the hardest part is knowing how to begin.

From the Learn Section

Books and Tools

Día de los Muertos: A Beautiful Example of Remembering Out Loud

How to Explain Death to a Child, by Age

Halloween, Skeletons, and "Scary" Death Talk

A LITTLE SUPPORT, SENT GENTLY.

FOLLOW @HI.GRIEF THROUGH THE EVERYDAY.

​

sometimes the hardest part
is knowing how
to begin.