Parenting After Loss: Helping Children Navigate Grief

In this episode, April Bordeau is joined by Brittany Gipson, Director of Clinical Services at Care to Change, to close out our parenting series with a tender and necessary conversation about grief and loss.

Loss comes in many forms - death, divorce, estrangement, health challenges, or the loss of a dream - and grief does not follow a predictable timeline. Together, April and Brittany explore how parents can support their children through grief while navigating their own healing journey.

This episode offers compassionate guidance for families walking through life after loss, emphasizing that grief is not something to “get over,” but something to integrate with care, honesty, and hope.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why grief is not linear and why there is no “right” way to grieve
• Common misconceptions about grief (including the pressure to move on)
• How children experience grief differently than adults
• Signs that a child may need additional support
• What rebuilding a “new normal” can look like after loss
• The importance of presence - not fixing - for those supporting someone in grief

April also shares personal reflections from her own journey through loss, underscoring the sacredness of grief and the power of walking alongside one another rather than rushing healing.

Resources mentioned:

• Previous Care to Change podcast episodes on grief and loss
• Grief-focused resources and book recommendations available on the Care to Change website
• GriefShare groups and community-based grief support

If this conversation brings up questions or emotions for you or your family, we invite you to reach out. You don’t have to navigate grief alone. Care to Change is here to offer support, counseling, and practical tools for healing.