1. Be mindful that it's difficult to distinguish between your own grief-feelings and those of your sons and daughters.
2. Include young people in what's going on.
3. Tell them the factual truth, rather than assume they cannot handle it.
4. Know that you are a "role-model" - your children will tend to imitate your style, e.g., hoarding and sharing grief.
5. Accept and grant permission to cry and to talk about what's happening.
6. Seek to listen, as never before, without judging.
7. Acknowledge and respond with reassurance to young people's fear that you, too, might die and leave them. Tell them what practical arrangements have been made "just in case".

Ronda O'Farrel, School Social Worker

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