Can I Even Do This? The Hardest Question Parents Ask About Grief
- Grounded Grief
- Feb 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 27
THE GROUNDED GRIEF CHILDHOOD & TEEN GRIEF SERIES | FEBRUARY 2026
When I joined Grounded Grief I was excited to be part of a team looking to expand its support for youth and families in the Portland area. During a flurry of enthusiastic brainstorming, our Founder & Practice Lead, Katherine Hatch, and I landed on what seemed like a simple idea: a monthly blog dedicated to childhood bereavement.
I jumped at the chance to develop this. After decades of working in hospice, palliative, and end-of-life care, the north star of my work has always been supporting grieving kids, empowering their parents and caregivers, and raising awareness about the unique ways children experience loss.
So, I sat down to brainstorm possible topics:
Why is kids' grief different?
What do parents need to know?
What does grief look like through every stage of development?
What do we do if kids aren’t even talking about a loss? Or if they’re talking too much?
Does my toddler get it?
What should I tell my kids’ school?
What do we need to know about grief and kids with neurodiverse diagnoses?
What is the current research on childhood grief, and how is it informing how schools, hospitals, and therapists support kids?
These are huge questions. In the spirit of kids’ well-being, they deserve thoughtful, grief-informed, and developmentally appropriate answers.
But it’s not fair to jump into those questions without first addressing the biggest, hardest, and most important question I am asked by parents supporting grieving children:
"Can I even do this?"
Molding a squishy bundle of joy into a grown-up in an ever-changing world is exhausting at baseline. When we throw in the dynamics of grief, parents deserve the space to lean into their insecurities and wonder if they are truly equipped to help their child navigate life during and after a loss.
So, here is what I share with parents who are starting at this spot:
Yes, you can. I promise you, you can do this.
Even if you feel like you make some missteps along the way, you can do this.
Even if you’re not sure how to care for your own grief, you can do this.
Even if you feel overwhelmed, know that you can do this—one gentle, courageous, self-compassionate step at a time.
Grief can be incredibly isolating, and it’s so important that parents know they are not alone.
In the coming months, I’ll be sharing information, resources, and ideas to help you support the children and teens in your life.
Alongside our other programs, the Grounded Grief community is committed to walking with you by:
Providing professional counseling support (for you AND your kiddo).
Fostering safe spaces that honor your grief.
Hosting regular educational offerings so we can all—grown-ups and kids alike—learn how to grow and find meaning in our own grief stories.
Warmly,
Lindsay Wooster-Halberg | Child and Adult Grief Therapist
If you're looking for a space to be among others who understand, join us for our next Grief Walk in Maryland or Portland or our Happy Hour for Sad People: a monthly unconventional grief circle hosted at a rotating local PDX bar. You can find the details about these events and all others here and we've included handy links below.
Upcoming In-Person Events:
Grounded Grief Walks PDX
Biweekly on Tuesdays from 12:30-1:30 pm Pacific Time
Portland, Oregon
Join the Grounded Grief Team for gentle outdoor grief group woods walks with space for quiet, conversation, and connection. Grief Counselors Katherine Hatch, MSW, LCSW, and Alyssa Ackerman, B.A., LMT, will be leading us on these walks.
Moving Grief Together: An Outdoor Walking Grief Support Group
Fridays from 10:00-11:00 am Eastern Time
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Join Tisha Washington, MSW, LMSW every Friday from 10:00-11:00 am Eastern for gentle outdoor grief group walks with space for quiet, conversation, and connection.
Happy Hour for Sad People: An Unconventional Grief Circle
March 23, April 27, May 25, June 22 | 7:00 PM Pacific Time
Portland, Oregon
Grounded Grief x Rhinestone PDX have turned "Happy Hour for Sad People" into a monthly residency. Join Juniper Wong, MSW, LICSW every fourth Monday of the month for the grief circle you didn't know you needed...yup, at a bar.
REMOTE WORKSHOP SERIES
Join us for our bi-monthly offering of one-hour remote workshops!
Here's what's upcoming. Mark your calendars!
March 3rd: EMBER: Support Group for Every Kind of Loss
March 10th: When a Hard Job is Even Harder: Parenting a Child through Grief and Loss
Does your parenting now involve holding space for your child's immense grief?
Join Katherine Hatch, MSW, LCSW and Lindsay Wooster-Halberg, MSW, LCSW, for a 1-hour remote workshop aimed to support caregivers who are supporting a grieving child.
April 7th: Grieving My Sibling: A Disenfranchised Loss
We hear how hard it is to find support for the death of a sibling.
Join Katherine Hatch, MSW, LCSW, Lindsay Wooster-Halberg, MSW, LCSW, and others who get it for a 1-hour online workshop that aims to bring together people navigating sibling loss.
Grief isn't meant to be navigated in isolation. We're building a space that honors the messy, non-linear, and beautifully human experience of loss and life. Thank you for being part of it.
If this newsletter resonated with you, please share it with a friend—we appreciate you helping make our community just a wee bit bigger.
Want this delivered to your inbox monthly? Subscribe to our newsletter.
Comments