Did your teen lose a parent before the age of 20?

[Baryl11]

Is anyone struggling with raising a child/ teen/ young adult after your spouse passed away and your child lost their parent young?

[Claire-RO]

Hi @Baryl11 

I thought I would jump on and share my experiences. Firstly I am so sorry to hear about your loss its so tough! I actually lost my mum at 12 and then my step mum at 26. Its so great to see that you are reaching out for support it shows how much you about your child!

I hope that you have been able to get some support for yourself as grief is hard to go through alone. I guess from my perspective what I really needed when I lost my mum and step mum was time to grieve and have moments to talk about them.  I found my self in a position where I wasn't able to show my emotions or talk about the parents I had lost as I felt like I would upset my dad. I really needed reassurance  that I could be upset and it wouldn't impact my parents and that my feelings are valid. Even as the years have passed I still miss them and have emotional days and that is so normal. I think allowing space for conversation without feeling like you are a burden or too much can mean so much to a young person who has lost a parent. 

I hope this helps and that things get easier for you both

[Baryl11]

Thank you for your kind words. Do you have an email address you'd be comfortable sharing to talk more about this?

[Taylor-RO]

Hi @Baryl11, thank you for your response. Our forums are designed to be a community led space where parents can come to receive peer support. Unfortunately, we do not offer one on one support and our service is anonymous. If you'd like to chat more, feel free to make additional posts or replies