Grieving is a skill that many Americans, especially children, aren’t familiar with anymore. There was a time when families had six children, but only two would survive to adulthood. With modern medicine and healthy habits, this is no longer the case. When the United States faces a significant collapse, everyone, including the children, will be grieving.

Children may lose friends, siblings, and parents. Developing a game plan to manage grief is going to be essential. Remember, you will also be grieving, even if it is only the pain of losing a comfortable lifestyle.

While grieving, it is essential to normalize these feelings as much as possible. Many adults have difficulty verbalizing intense feelings of grief, but children have no frame of reference to draw from. You must share with them how you are feeling and encourage them to do the same. After listening, engage in an alternate activity that creates positive feelings. Let them know that there is no correct way to grieve, but they have a support network where they can feel safe.

There are many ways you can help. Tuck these away for the future, so you have a game plan. Develop a consistent routine and try to provide them with a good diet. This is difficult during a collapse. Patterns of behavior will change, and food may become scarce. Do your best to develop a new routine that includes finding food you can feed your family.

Be patient with a grieving child. Their emotions aren’t organized. Let them find their way, and don’t demand they do it within a specific time frame. It will only add more stress.

Give them moments of connection by talking about their lost loved ones during activities you can complete together. Do not judge their emotions as right or wrong. They must find how to handle their loss and the new lifestyle they have suddenly been thrust into. Be reassuring and encourage them to breathe.

Talk to them about their feelings often, which may change rapidly. Teach them to recognize their feelings and not to fight them. Emotions will come and go; each surface does not need to act upon them. Please encourage them to play with others their age. Laughing with friends can go a long way to healing the soul.

Teach them to have faith in God. Understanding that a higher power is watching out for you is comforting when everything seems to be falling around you. At times they may blame that higher authority for taking away their loved ones but understanding that no one but God controls his actions and that each one happens for a purpose can give meaning to the loss. Also, understanding that shining your light and helping others in this world goes a long way in the next helps everyone stay focused.

It’s not always easy to be a preparedness-minded individual raising children. However, it can be a rewarding experience. My family’s preparedness lifestyle has been enriching. We use outdoor survival training, gardening, and raising livestock as a fun family time that we all participate in together. Recently we met a new friend. He is in his mid-thirties and grew up with prepping parents at a time when the lifestyle was infrequent. As a teenager, he began associating very negative feelings with his lifestyle. However, after meeting our family and seeing how the lifestyle binds us together, his feelings have begun to change. Realizing that everything happens for a reason, he has started to see the value in learning the skills his parents taught him as a child, and life is coming full circle.

This story reminds me of staying the course and walking in the light no matter what the naysayers say.