Camp Swan helps kids deal with grief
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Carefree days filled with laughter soon become replaced with sadness when a child loses a parent, sibling or other loved one.
Comforting words and gestures coming from an older teenager can sometimes help soothe a child’s hurt.
Coordinators of a camp for grieving children are searching for high school seniors and older teenagers who can volunteer with therapeutic activities including music, art, reading, and individual and group discussion.
The teenage presence is in addition to a host of professional volunteers being sought that will include social workers, doctors and nurses who will help 20 area children deal with grief during a three-day, two-night retreat set amid 200 acres of rolling pasture and forestland in St. Francisville.
Camp Swan is accepting applications for its free-of-charge grief camp on Aug. 22 through Aug. 24 at Judson Baptist Retreat Center in St. Francisville.
It will provide a naturalistic backdrop for what organizers hope to accomplish with children, said Sue May, Camp Swan administrator and a licensed Hospice nurse.
“Once they know that it is OK to talk and that it’s OK to be sad, then they have a little relief,” May said. “We discuss the loss, how it happened and other general questions we ask the children.”
The camp combines art, music, and individual and group therapies so that the needs of each child can be addressed. Children will also participate in an obstacle course and physical exercise.
“We’re there to help them work through that grief,” May said.
There are ways that adults can help a child get through their grief, May said.
“Children have emotions similar to adults when it comes to grieving yet there are some differences,” May said.
May offers these suggestions for parents of grieving children:
- The child should feel free to express anger, anxiety and frustration. “Your acceptance of their emotions will help them process it better,” May said.
- Aggression, regression or withdrawal in children shows that they need help in dealing with grief. For example, if a child regresses into thumb sucking or bed wetting, professional help is needed.
- Don’t be afraid to let your child see your emotions. When adults hide and protect their feelings, the child does not feel he can show his either.
- There are no timetables for handling emotions. Stages of grief happen intermittently.
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