How Loss of a Father Affects A Child And How You Can Help

Parents play an important role in the development of their children’s well-being. Fathers, in particular, help their children be more independent. Once they grow up, children who have well-involved fathers are said to be more socially successful and emotionally intelligent. This is why losing a father can hugely affect a child. If you have a grieving child in your circle, giving Memorial gifts for loss of father is one of the ways you can help them cope.

This blog dives deep into this sensitive but important topic.

A Range Of Negative Effects On Children

Losing a father is inexplicably painful. While receiving memorial gifts for loss of father can bring forth a certain kind of comfort, nothing can ever replace the gap left behind by the death of a lifelong hero.

Several studies show that father loss can lead to a wide array of negative effects.

Biologically speaking, people who have lost their fathers in childhood can grow with shorter telomeres. Telomeres refer to our body’s chromosome caps that are linked to better health and longer life in general. Later in life, adults who experience chronic stress are said to be related to telomere loss.

Apart from this change in the body, children grieving for the loss of a father are also at risk of developing long-term emotional and mental health concerns. A survey shows that 5% of children aged 15 years old and below have developed mental conditions later on.

The negative impact of father loss on a child’s behavior can be seen in different ways. While some children exhibit a higher risk of delinquency or early sexual activity, others develop substance addiction. These ill consequences are also typically tied with poorer physical conditions.

Other interesting findings, however, show that the impact can be less severe if a chronic disease causes the death of the father. Because the death is not sudden, it allows children to have better tome coping with the inevitability of their parent’s death. Children who suddenly lost their fathers tend to get stuck in the anger and denial phases of grief, rendering them unable to fully process their emotions and recover from the loss.

How To Help A Grieving Child

Like adults, children have different ways of grieving. This is why you have to be particularly sensitive with helping them dealing with their grief, while keeping your explanations on death direct, honest, and sincere.

Apart from offering the practical help that they especially need in these tough times, you also have to encourage them to express their feelings. When they convey their emotions, you’ll better understand how much their father’s death is affecting them.

There are different ways children can voice out their thoughts. These include building a scrapbook, drawing pictures, writing letters, and telling stories. When conversing with them, don’t be afraid to bring up the father’s name. It helps in preserving their memories of their dad.

Giving remembrance gifts such as memorial gifts for loss of father can also aid in your effort of keeping their father’s legacy alive for the many years to come.