Grieving the loss of a loved one is natural. Adults may put their feelings on auto-pilot until they deal with all of the paperwork and funeral details and then grieve later. However, how much do adults really focus on what the involved children are going through? Wrapped up in their own emotions and duties, adults may not stop to think about how much the children are truly affected, particularly when the child shows no outwards signs of grief.

They may not cry right away or act out immediately, but rest assured that children do grieve in their own way. Because they are younger and therefore immature and inexperienced, they may not know how to find that outlet that allows them to grieve. They may not know how to act. Because of this, there are some misconceptions about the grieving process in regards to children.

Family emotional support, relationship with the deceased, maturity levels and level of life experience all come into play when it comes to children grieving. As each child is unique, they will express grief and sadness in different ways and therefore will act differently. There is not right or wrong way to grieve.

While death definitely brings grief, a host of other factors also cause it in children as well. Anything that signifies a loss to a child is far game to grieving. The death of a pet, moving to a new home, losing a friend and even parental divorce all can produce grief. It is important for parents to understand that grief occurs in many forms for children. In addition, they should not shield their children from loss as it is a natural process, no matter what it is.

Children are strong and bounce back quickly from a loss. Of course it takes the support and understanding of adults, friends and family to make that happen. As such, many children may actually benefit from attending the funeral of a loved one. Parents should talk with their children and allow them to make the choice. The more tenderhearted souls may want to stay home and grieve in their own way while others may need the closure of a funeral to say goodbye.

Some people feel that it is the duty of the parents to help the children deal with the loss of a loved one. While parents should be the first line of defense so to speak, other individuals may be helpful as well. Friends of the children can help just as much as a favorite teacher, family friend, preacher, a therapist or counselor. Sometimes, children don't want to "burden" their parents and will turn to someone else.

Children may also show grief in a variety of ways such as a dip in their grades, losing interest in an activity they normally enjoy and acting out when they normally behave. It takes an intuitive parent or adult to recognize these signs for what they are as children sometimes do not realize these are signs of grief.

The best thing that a parent or close adult can do is talk with the children to let them know that they understand that they might be sad. Assure them that it is ok to feel sadness and even anger at the loss of the loved one. By just being there for them, the children will eventually share their emotions with their parents or trusted adult.