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How Teachers Can Lessen the Burden of
Grief for Single Parent Children
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- Identify the single parent children, for legal and emotional reasons.
- Update emergency records annually requesting current information.
- Be aware of your own attitudes and feelings. Avoid statements such
as "broken home," negative biases or judgements.
- Teach "feeling words" in the classroom.
- Initiate class discussions. Discuss the various meanings of family.
- Be aware of gift giving and gift making. Let the child decide for whome the gift is made and given; avoid
Mother's Day gifts for Mother only, etc.
- Be sensitive to school events. Try parent/child events rather than mother/son or father/daughter
outings.
- Stay out of custody battles.
- Schedule parent/teacher conferences at various times.
- Have books about death and divorce available in the library.
- Be supportive of the parents' situation. Have lists of social service agencies and books available for parents.
- Don't blame all the problems on living in a single parent family.
- Be sensitive in the communications and letters going home. Avoid "Dear parents,"
never assume the last names are the same, or that there is a Mr. and Mrs. at home.
- Understand the financial difficulties.
- Keep communication open between you and the parent.
- Provide opportunities to talk with the child alone. Be empathetic, understanding, and assist the child
in verbalizing by using feeling words.
- Don't make light of the situation. Validate the child's feelings.
- Don't pry or intrude into family privacy.
- Don't give advice or suggestions. Usually, the child just needs you to listen.
- Don't bring up sensitive issues with the child in front of peers or other adults.
- Be careful not to break the child's confidentiality.
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