DEALING WITH TRANSITIONS

“Children naturally experience the sorrow and pain of loss, whether it is a misplaced toy, a move to a new school, or the death of a loved one. Citing a child’s natural resilience as a rationale, adults may assume that the young person’s grief experience will be brief and have no long-term consequences. A well meaning grown-up may even attempt to expedite the ‘rebound’ by engaging the child in cheerful activities. A far more helpful response would be to guide children in developing healthy patterns of grieving—behaviors that will facilitate their encounters with loss throughout their lives.” (McClintock 2003)

Mark McClintock, author of the above quote, is the Coordinator of PASSPORTkids!, a new camping experience for children from Passport, Inc., in Birmingham, Alabama. His ministry with children incorporates communicating through puppets and ventriloquism.

McClintock has encapsulated what is often thought by adults dealing with grieving children. For this module, we want to look at transitions and their effect on your children. We hope that this module will give you a few more tools to help you support your children through this time of change.

Transition is defined by the Oxford American Dictionary as “the process of change from one state or style, etc. to another.”

Everyone makes hundreds of transitions throughout their lifetime. TCKs, their parents and other overseas workers are probably more familiar with this process than many other people. Although transitions may have similarities, each experience is also unique, and individuals respond to it in their own unique way. (Shingledecker-Wheeler 2005)

Permission to copy, but not for commercial use.