Fredericksburg Parent

8 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • December 2025 One in 12 children in Virginia will experience the loss of either a parent or a sibling by the age of 18, according to Judi's House/JAG Institute, in conjunction with the New York Life Foundation. Yet, for many, knowing how to face grief or support some- one who is grieving can feel overwhelming. "Culturally, we tend to shy away from grief because the feelings are really uncom- fortable. I think the more attention and awareness we can bring to [the myriad of] normal grief responses, the better," said Mary Beaven, Community Outreach and Bereavement Liaison for Mary Washington Healthcare Grief Support Services. Beaven went on to note that grief is a whole-body experience, extending beyond emotions like sadness, anger, worry, denial, and shock. It also includes physical reac- tions, like brain fog and fatigue. "In kids, especially, we see a lot of body aches, like headaches and stomachaches," she said. Oftentimes, parents struggle with knowing how much to say to children and finding the right words to discuss death. Grief education, including how to talk to children about death, is just one of the ways Beaven and the team at Mary Washington Healthcare Grief Support Services help families navigate grief. Beaven remarked that it's important to give children short and honest answers when it comes to death, and to use the straightforward word "die" instead of phrases like "passing away." Additionally, she noted, "It's important to create space so that your child knows it's okay to talk about these things." Beaven also emphasized the importance of normalizing responses to grief, for exam- ple, when a child is having trouble concentrating at school. She noted, "These are normal parts of grief and not necessarily something to fix. And I think that's a really hard part for loving, caring parents, as we want to take away the pain and the hard parts. We have to learn to sit with those uncomfortable feelings and to be okay with just listening and not trying to fix whatever's going on." On the other hand, Beaven noted that there are certain red flags for parents to be aware of when children are grieving. For example, if a child is struggling to return to any sort of normalcy after several months, or if they were previously social but are now isolating themselves, parents should seek additional support. Healing Through Connection: WRITTEN BY CAMILLE TURNER Supporting Families Through Grief in Our Community Mary Beaven. LCSW Community Outreach and Bereavement Liaison Mary Washington Healthcare Grief Support Services mary.beaven@mwhc.com 540-205-0502

• Cover