Many children's lives are touched by a serious illness within their families, and some will be faced with the loss of a parent or grandparent, or the death of a sibling or beloved pet. How can adults help young people cope with these losses? How do they explain and console in language that a child can understand?

Dr. Daniel Schaefer, working with child psychologists and trauma experts, and drawing on more than three decades of experience with families in crisis, has written a practical guide for anyone who works or lives with children--parents, caregivers, counselors, or teachers--to respond to their inevitable questions about loss and change, life and death. He provides strategies to assist children with grief and trauma and offers time-tested advice and language that children can understand.

How Do We Tell the Children?

Now in its fourth edition, this classic guide includes new material on:

• dealing with the traumatic stress of a large-scale catastrophe
• handling the repercussions of school violence
• helping grandparents manage as caregivers
• advising employers about how to support employees going through a family loss.

The book also features an expanded quick-reference Crisis Section with conversation scripts and up-to-date resources, including websites, publications, and support groups.