Parenting Guru: What I Never Want to Tell My Child

Did you know that one in seven children will have to deal with someone close to them passing away?Those are some startling statistics. Death is a fact of life - a very harsh one. We don't want our children to experience pain. But none of us have the power to say when this kind of pain comes and when it doesn't. National Children's Grief Awareness Day happens annually the Thursday before Thanksgiving in order tobring awareness to grieving kids.

It's a fear that many of us have consciously or subconsciously. Many people choose not to talk about it at all. It may not even cross our minds in our everyday routine. It wasn't until a few years back when I was faced with cervical cancer issues twice in a row that it really hit me hard. What if I had to tell my kids I might not be around as long as they needed me to be? Everything turned out fine after each procedure I had to go through. But what if it hadn't? I spent many days figuring out how I would tell my children.

We always go around thinking "Oh, that's not going to happen to our family." But the truth is that it can and does happen to any and everyone at some point in life. Death is a natural part of life. None of us know when we will go. Some children will unfortunately have to deal with the loss of a parent or someone else close to them. Hug your kids every day. Time is the most valuable thing you can give them.

Hug a child who has suffered a loss and give them time too. You cannot replace the person they have lost. But you can be some light amidst the pain. Talk to your own kids about this difficult part of life and how to listen to their friends who may be struggling with a loss. Tell your own story. There are many ways to help and many ways to bring awareness. Silence isn't one of them.

Lyn is a freelance web journalist, the Community Advocate at Yahoo! Contributor Network, and a Y! Shine Parenting Guru. She's also the founder of Write W.A.V.E. Media, parent company to LifeSuccessfully.com and several others. She enjoys publishing freelance writers and supports advocacy through journalism. She has been published all over the web with major media companies, as well as smaller businesses and organizations. Contact Lyn for guidance in the world of freelance writing.

Lyn on Twitter: @LynLomasi