No one grieves the same way. The grief process is not the same for everyone and may look quite different in children as opposed to adults. It is important to remember that just because a child is not outwardly displaying the signs you may associate with grief, they may still be grieving. Children may display grief symptoms intermittently; these symptoms may even seem to come and go as if in waves of emotion. Periods of intense sadness may be immediately followed by outward displays of happiness. Common grief symptoms in children include:
Increase or decrease in appetite
Change in sleeping pattern (sleeping more or less than usual)
Increase or decrease in activity level
Withdrawing from peers
Hyper-vigilance and feeling unsafe
Dreams about the deceased loved one
Nightmares or inability to sleep (often caused child being fearful of what might happen next)
Decrease in communication
Irritability or outbursts
Difficulty focusing
Overreacting to seemingly minor events
