UNLOCK THE UNSPOKEN TO ELIMINATE GRIEF STORMS: HELP YOUR CHILD NAVIGATE BIG FEELINGS & BEHAVIORS
THE PROBLEM
No one ever said parenting a grieving child was going to be easy….
...EVER.
We know logically that grief isn’t linear and our children
won’t be done grieving in a few weeks.
In fact, talk to ANY parent and you’ll hear that logic and normal parenting went right out the window the day their person died.
You and your child lived through the worst pain imaginable–losing a loved one. Expected or unexpected, it was traumatic, overwhelming, and all-consuming! You're barely holding on yourself, but you see your child hurting and you desperately want to help them.
These are a few of things I have heard parents say over the last 2 decades.
Truthfully, I said many of them too.
“I took my child to a therapist and her grief just keeps getting worse.”
“Between my grief and my child’s, I feel exhausted on a whole other level than ever before.
“I heard my child talking to a friend about death and she’s so confused.”
“I am desperately trying to say the right things and my child still doesn’t want to share with me.”
“My friends and family all have opinions about how to handle my child’s grief and I’m over it.”
“My child is so angry all the time now. Everyone says more discipline, but I know it’s grief.”
“My child hasn’t cried since they found out about the death.”
“My teen spends all their time with friends since the death, but I don’t know if this is ok .”
“I’m dragging my child to weekly therapy appointments and I don’t even know if it’s helping.”
Parent guilt is real. Seriously. IT'S NORMAL!
Truly, it’s multiplied when added to grief.
Children’s grief behaviors or reactions can seemingly come out of nowhere...
One minute everything is fine.
The next minute your child is having a meltdown over not wanting to wear those specific pants.
Or your teen walks in the room, is talking with you, and then 5 minutes later is in tears, and you have no idea what just happened.
Or you’ve had several weeks of peace and all of a sudden your child is melting on the floor, won’t sleep in their bed, and constantly velcroed to your leg.
If this sounds familiar, these are what I refer to as grief storms.
As adults, we know and understand the depth and permanency of death. We may not have
felt this loss until we have a close family member or friend die, but we intellectually know this person’s spirit has now physically left us.
On the other hand, kids can’t comprehend the scope of death.
They haven’t been alive long enough to experience how permanent death is. In their world, you die in a video game and get to respawn back into the game.
Kids don’t get stuck in grief like adults–they pop in and out of their grief behaviors.
This means they experience grief differently than adults.
They experience what I call grief storms.
Just like the weather, ever-changing and sometimes unpredictable, our kids’ grief pops up like a storm. This grief storm is driven by feelings or behaviors. Our kids can be scared by these overwhelming and consuming emotions. These grief storms are unfamiliar and unchartered.
WHAT IF...
You could learn your child’s storm type?
You could recognize grief behaviors?
You could learn ways to intervene?
You could predict when a grief storm was coming?
YOU could confidently lead your family through this grief journey.
It gets even better when you label this grief storm.
NOW, you have a language to use when talking with your child about grief!
These talks will further a connection between you and your child that will last a lifetime.
Your child will be happier knowing you are listening AND responding in a way they feel seen and heard, specific to their grief type.
This will reduce misunderstandings or fights when grief emerges.
And at the risk of sounding horribly cliché, grief will impact your child’s entire life; however, it doesn’t have to result in an angry, bitter, or sad childhood.
All your negative emotions and feelings about these grief storms stem from two things:
Fear of upsetting your child & wanting to protect them.
The reality is many of our beliefs and expectations about how to help our child navigate grief are unrealistic and frankly harmful.
But what if we could change our thoughts and behaviors about what our grieving children should be doing and what they need? Those feelings of uncertainty and fear would disappear…and in its place…
Knowledge, empowerment, and confidence.
That leads to empathetic decisions and more curiosity around grief conversations.
Over the years, we’ve worked with many parents to help them understand their children and the influence of grief in their family. Let us help you build this bridge between the unknown and the joy that used to be part of your daily life.
BENEFITS
The benefits of our work are far-reaching for families.
Less overwhelm when initiating grief conversations
More understanding of what’s “normal” in terms of grief
Easy ways to implement strategies to reduce symptoms of grief
Bite-sized help to manage expectations and tangible tips
Encouraging curiosity to spark natural grief healing
Simple instructions that don’t require any sort of formal training or high-priced props
And since 2021, we’ve been running Annette Athy, LLC and know that our families could benefit from these simple, clear, effective lessons to guide them on what to do and how to bring up grief talks. Problem is…many parents are stuck in analysis paralysis thinking grief needs to be addressed in a certain way. Leading them to work with a mental health professional who isn’t providing them with the tools to continue grief support at home.
That’s when we had the idea to create a no-fuss subscription where we’d drop one of our easy-to-implement grief video lessons each month (with a short activity, action step, & concise directions) and help empower you to turn all that negative foggy feeling into knowledge you can put to work creating an open dialogue about grief!
So we did.
That’s why we’re SO honored to bring you….
The Monthly Grief Navigation Subscription That Makes Sense Of Children & Grief So You Can Be Empowered To Lead Your Family
On This Healing Journey
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN YOUR MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION:
A short video lesson on a specific grief-related topic that will walk you through an activity and how to get your kids curious about grief exploration. Even if they don’t want to do the activity, you can still use the guide to prompt discussions throughout the month!
A written guide to adapt for your kids and prompt talks during the activity to make these talks easier. Unsure what to say next, use my words until they become yours!
1 Office Hour To Come & Ask Your Questions (how to implement, specifics to apply to your kids & situation, how to make age-appropriate) Live With Dr. Annette
Nothing extra* to distract you from the very important task of helping your grieving child.
*Except This Cool Side Benefit: As a member, you can submit a request for a particular topic that you and other grieving parents would find relevant. Maybe we’ll work it into our queue!
Types Of Problems The Grief Storm Rescue Will Solve:
Discover strategies for comforting your child during turbulent grief storms
Learn age-appropriate ways to support your child
Foster resilience as you navigate grief alongside your child
Recognize signs of approaching grief storms
Help your child identify and express emotions
Create meaningful memorials for loved ones
Understand the distinctions between grief counseling and coaching
Gain insights into children's expressions of grief
Develop coping skills for managing emotional rollercoasters
Deepen your understanding of grief and bereavement
Initiate brief yet impactful grief conversations
Navigate challenging talks about loss and death
Address behavioral changes in your child
Support your child's overall well-being and mental health
Grief Storm Rescue is perfect for anyone who:
Needs quick and easy ways to support their child on their grief journey
Wants to get their family on board with talking about their grief
Any parent who could use some simple grief shortcuts
Wishes they could pick a Grief Expert brain a few times a month
Needs help with understanding if their child is processing grief
Parents who were previously confident but are now navigating this new journey of grief
cancel anytime!
Month to Month Access
$37/mo
A short video on a specific grief-related topic that will walk you through an activity and how to get your kids curious about grief exploration. Even if they don’t want to do the activity, you can still use the guide to prompt discussions throughout the month!
A written guide to adapt for your kids and prompt talks during the activity to make these talks easier. Unsure what to say next, use my words until they become yours!
+ + + PLUS + + +
1 Office Hour To Come & Ask Your Questions Live With Dr. Annette
*Find additional ways to implement the grief activity
*Specific ways to apply the lesson to your kids & situation
*How to customize the activity age-appropriate
Delivered to your inbox each month!
About Your Grief Storm Whisperer: Dr. Annette
I’m a grief specialist & child development expert. I’ve been working with children & families for over 20 years in a variety of settings.
My journey started with thousands of hours of schooling & training in social work and counseling. I earned my doctorate in counseling as well as a lengthy list of certifications in parent-child, play, grief, & trauma.
Recently, I retired my counseling license and certifications to serve clients in the best, most efficient way possible, refusing to let insurance standards dictate how I can help the families I work with today.
My most meaningful title is PARENT. I knew since I was a kid that I wanted to be a mom. BUT no number of certifications and degrees could've prepared me for the on-the-job training I would need as a parent!
Our family has experienced a variety of losses and what I am teaching you in this challenge is the combination of my formal education & my real-world parent knowledge!
CATHY OLSON
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Why Grief Talks?
Over twenty-five years ago, my family unexpectedly lost a family member and once she passed away, she was rarely spoken of again.
I don't want any child to go through what her children experienced.
To address this, I created the Grief Storm Quiz to help parents name the type of grief their child is experiencing and the Grief Storm Rescue to help families stop avoiding and start talking about grief in their homes.
Our Grief Storm Rescue Guarantee :)
You don’t need to be a super parent to use these video lessons.
They will take you MAX 15 minutes to watch and do the activity.
You can sprinkle these grief prompts into other conversations.
They will be practical & useful (and your kids will want to watch too!).
Cancel anytime, no hassle no problem - reach out to [email protected].
TRY IT ON
Still Not Sure? Get One Grief Storm Rescue Lesson For Free…On Us!
YES! Try before you buy. We think you will love the value packed in this video!
Right below we’re gifting you a Grief Storm Rescue lesson so you can see exactly what you’re getting.
In this lesson, you will learn how to explain death and speak about it in a way that clearly explains the permanency of death to kids of all ages using a candle. No need to stress, I provide you with the words to say and ways to continue the talk throughout the month.
If you’re ready to buy, no worries. This gift delivers the MINUTE you sign up too!
“If you have not experienced grief, it’s hard to know what is even a normal response. This program not only lets you know how normal you and your children’s emotions are, but how to deal with these emotions. You will walk away with confidence and tools to hep your children deal with grief and the messiness that comes from grief.” - Michelle Faulk
Frequently Asked Questions.
How can I get the video guide?
The video lesson will arrive in your inbox with a guide for you to download on your phone or computer. You can choose to print them each month or store them on your device.
How is this different from the Growing Up with Grief FB group?
Welp. Parents in the group do not receive any of the grief lessons or guides you will receive to assist them with addressing their child’s grief storms unless they sign up for the Grief Storm Rescue.
Can I use this with my family?
Absolutely! But do not share the guide or try to resell it. Otherwise, the video lesson and guide is for you to use IN your household (co-parents & kids).
I am a coach/consultant/course creator and want to use these in my programs. Can I?
Best option is to have your students or clients join the subscription. If we get a lot of people interested in this, we could do a coach/consultant tier that gives you the ability to use it in your teachings with clients, but there’s nothing like that right now. Basically, email us your use case and we’ll take it case by case. [email protected]
Do I have to be a parent to use this?
Nope! We welcome any family or friends who are actively involved in the grieving child’s village to participate. You will discover effective methods to comfortably start those difficult conversations about grief. So come join us: Step-parents, Grandparents, Foster Parents, Extended Family, Teachers, Grief Educators!
I suck at starting grief talks.
Is that a question? We kid. That’s okay! In fact, if you hate grief talks, this is the #1 reason you should join. Because we’ve got your back and give you the exact words on what to say you and when to say it.
It seems like your grief videos are solving LOTS of problems. Is this a coaching product?
This is all about the intersection of parenting and grief coaching. Each month we’ll focus on one super specific grief topic, to keep overwhelm to a minimum. However, if you are finding that you would like more strategic advice to apply the lessons to your children or you notice that you are more anxious or nervous about implementing the activity, reach out and let’s talk about how we can help make these lessons work better for you and your family. [email protected]
You could keep guessing while making parenting decisions & worrying about the long-term impact of grief on your child…
Or you can take the small but mighty step into the world of parenting, healing, and grief and get clear on what your family needs and how to make these grief lessons work for you on this grief journey.
And for those of you already well-versed in the world of parenting and grief, these grief lessons are based on current behaviors and experiences and come with the expectations that you can adapt them into your parenting with any child griever.
We can’t wait to help!
Dr. Annette
Cancel Anytime!
Month to Month Access
$37/mo
A short video on a specific grief-related topic that will walk you through an activity and how to get your kids curious about grief exploration. Even if they don’t want to do the activity, you can still use the guide to prompt discussions throughout the month!
A written guide to adapt for your kids and prompt talks during the activity to make these talks easier. Unsure what to say next, use my words until they become yours!
+ + + + PLUS + + + +
1 Office Hour To Come & Ask Your Questions Live With Dr. Annette
*Find additional ways to implement the grief activity
*Specific ways to apply the lesson to your kids & situation
*How to customize the activity age-appropriate
Delivered to your inbox each month!
“Dr. Athy helped me figure out how to help my children through the recent sudden accidental death of their father. She helped me think about things from my kid’s perspective. Dr. Athy is a valuable resource for our community of caregivers who want to help their grieving child navigate the experience of grief.
My own father died when I was 12 and back in the 80’s my Mom did her best, but I wish she had someone like Dr. Athy helping her to support me and not just sweep it under the rug.” - Jeanie Crossfield Zatkulak
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