Why Don’t They Cry?: Understanding Your Living Child’s Grief

This talk is about helping parents and caregivers understand how children grieve the loss of a sibling. It answers common concerns about why children may not express their sadness in the ways adults expect and provides guidance on how to support them during such a difficult time.

Key points we’ll cover include:

• What is the Sibling Survivor Experience?

I’ll explain what it’s like for children who lose a sibling—how they may feel emotions like guilt, confusion, or even responsibility, and why their grief is so unique.

• The “New” Family and Expectations:

We’ll discuss how the family changes after a loss, how roles can shift, and how unspoken pressures might affect everyone, especially the grieving child.

• Why Don’t They Cry?

Finally, I’ll address why children might not openly cry or show sadness and how factors like their age, personality, and family environment can influence how they process grief.

By the end of this talk, my goal is to give families practical insights and tools to better understand and support their grieving child.