Search Results for: blog dealing with the death of parents

Choking Game Death

I wouldn’t be a responsible blogger if I failed to correct something I addressed in my last blog, “You Just Never Know.” I mentioned the tragic death of a 12-year-old boy at my son’s middle school, from what was believed to be suicide. Yesterday an automated message was sent to every family from the school. It has been ruled an accidental death caused by the “choking game.” In spite of this, many children still claim the poor boy was the victim of bullying. So I had to ask myself, “Which is worse?” A young boy taking his own life or … Continue reading →

Dealing with Suicide

It’s a difficult subject to talk about but one that will more than likely be necessary at some point if you have teens. It is the issue of suicide. The youth group of my church is comprised of teens from all different area schools. However the community, in which my church is planted, is the same place where last week a 16-year-old boy took his life. So it has definitely touched a nerve. The 16-year-old didn’t attend our church but our youth pastor made himself available to the high school, for those who needed someone to talk to. And I … Continue reading →

Facing Death and Making a Difference

In early December 2010, Jen Likness got a call that could change her life. She was getting her long awaited, much need lung transplant. Likness has cystic fibrosis. A lung transplant could save her life, although half of those who receive them won’t live longer than 5 years. That’s more time than she would have without one so the risk is worth the rewards more often than not. That’s a lot to carry and to consider for a young woman. Still, in the long months that she has been awaiting this moment, Likness wasn’t thinking about herself, but about the … Continue reading →

Tips for Dealing with Stress in Marriage

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We’d all like life to be great all the time but the reality is, at times, life is stressful. It’s how we deal with stress that matters. Yesterday, we looked at the effects excess alcohol can cause in a marriage. But the reason a spouse usually drinks to excess, could be because they are trying to find a way to deal with stress. Stress is something that affects all marriages at time, whether it is financial stress, illness, job related, death of a loved one, or family issues – the list is endless. Alcohol never solves problems but actually can … Continue reading →

Dealing With Death

The way death affects marriage partners varies. The death of a child can have serious consequences on a marriage. This could be because men and women tend to try to handle such a situation in various ways, and sometimes they don’t know enough about how the other is feeling and why they react as they do. The death of a parent can also affect a men and woman in different ways and is something most of us will experience at some point. Mick and I have gone through this twice since we have been married, first with the death of … Continue reading →

Fear of Death

In the forums we have been discussing fears. Beth recently wrote a blog about people’s fear of death. At the time I suggested ‘To have assurance of a life beyond death makes all the difference in the way it is approached.’ Beth wasn’t convinced ‘Possibly so, but I know many people who would consider themselves to be religious and yet cannot face talking about their own mortality. I guess it is often a case of “everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die!” Yet I know some people who have their funeral all planned, right down to … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Month in Review: July 2008

Two of my three children are summer babies. That is, they were born in the summer and had their first months surrounded by sunshine streaming in the windows, the sound of birds chirping, and days spent wearing nothing but a diaper and a “onsie.” I made sure that they had Fourth of July outfits ready, even though one of them arrived a week after the holiday. I guess he just wasn’t interested in the parade. Do you have a summer baby, too? We had a lot of new information to share this past month, such as recall notices and new … Continue reading →

Illness and Death in the Extended Family, Part Three—Take Care of Yourself Too

When there is a serious or terminal illness or death in the extended family, it is common for us parents to take care of everyone EXCEPT ourselves. We focus on helping our children cope and may need to take care of all sorts of other details and support as well. As I write about how illness and death in the extended family can affect the household and family, I think it is important to remind us all to take care of ourselves too. The last person on our list of who to look after may be ourselves but the truth … Continue reading →

Illness and Death in the Extended Family, Part Two—Older Children and Teens

I wrote earlier today, introducing this topic of helping our children to cope with the illness and death of a family member. Many of our children have been shielded from death and it can be confusing, overwhelming and traumatic. With older children and teens, they may be expected to understand more or participate on a more personal level and there are ways we parents can help older kids learn healthy ways of coping and dealing with grief and the stress that can surround an illness and death. I have found the important thing to remember is that each of our … Continue reading →

Dealing With Grief

Recently I overheard two women in the supermarket car park talking about the death of someone they knew. One said, ‘It happened so suddenly and that’s always harder to cope with.’ ‘Such a shock to the family. No one was prepared,’ the other woman agreed. Is it harder to cope with? I’d dispute that. Are we ever prepared for death? I thought about my own experience with the death of my parents. Yes, Dad’s death left us in shock. It also left me feeling guilty. I was the only home with him when it happened and I used to think … Continue reading →