SandCastles "Grief in Brief" Monthly - Henry Ford SandCastles

An Ongoing Series of Helpful Information for Grieving Children and Their Families

Interested in sponsoring Grief in Brief? Get in touch with us at SandCastles@hfhs.org!

December: The holiday season is an emotion-packed time for grieving families. Between holiday shopping, traditions, activities, and grief added to the mix—your loved ones need support during this season without their person.

November: In this month’s Grief in Brief, we’re honoring National Children’s Grief Awareness Month with an in-depth conversation about experiencing grief as a kid. Leah Bengel sat down with SandCastles Intern, Hannah Past, to discuss her childhood grief journey.

October: Fall, with its beauty and then its bareness, is a season of change in Michigan mimicking how life is full of transitions. Losing a loved one to death is one of life’s biggest and hardest transitions. When we love and we lose, we grieve. Our mission for these last few months of 2024 is to normalize grief and provide a safe place for grieving children, teens, and adults. Follow us on November 1st and all month long for Children’s Grief Awareness Month as we work to share tips and tools on how to help grieving children. As always, if you know someone in need, we are here to help.

September: Leah chats with SandCastles team member, Linda, about the return of our Navigators Program! Tune in to learn more about what to expect as our community comes together to navigate the rocky waters of grief.

June: We all look forward to summertime—the sun, the vacation, the togetherness. But grief doesn’t have a summer vacation, it’s present year-round. The lack of structure and presence of change can be difficult to navigate, but you aren’t alone.

May: In this month’s Grief in Brief, Peggy is joined by special guest, Fran Solomon with Heal Grief! Fran tells us more about Heal Grief’s programs and resources, and we’re so grateful for her contributions to grieving children and families everywhere.

April: In this episode of Grief in Brief, Peggy chats about Volunteerism – how to join the SandCastles volunteer network and how important volunteers are to our mission.

March: In Kailey’s final Grief in Brief, the SandCastles duo covers “Funeral Planning with Children.” Although there is no one-size-fits-all answer, there are important things to consider when planning a funeral with grieving children around.

February: For those missing their Valentine this season, it can be difficult to find a reason to celebrate a day centered on love. Join Kailey and Peggy to explore the different, practical ways you can make your grieving loved ones feel cared for and supported.

January: The Individual Bereavement Support Plan is a game-changer for the education system! In this month’s episode of Grief in Brief, Kailey and Peggy take us through how this plan works and why it’s so important for schools and families to come together to support grieving children.

December: The holiday season is meant to be filled with joy and merriment, but for those grieving, it can feel the opposite. In December’s Grief in Brief, Kailey and Peggy provide a guide for parents who are grieving this holiday season while still trying to create special memories and magic for their children.

November is Children’s Grief Awareness Month and to honor grieving children, the NACG has launched the Flip the Script campaign! In this episode of Grief in Brief, Peggy and Kailey shed light on how important our words are to our grieving loved ones, and how flipping the script can help us better support them.

October: Grief can be scary…In this month’s Grief in Brief Kailey and Peggy are giving insight into Anxiety and Worry After a Death and how kids often respond to it.

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and in this month’s Grief in Brief Kailey and Peggy discuss not only suicide prevention, but how to explain these complicated, tragic deaths to children.

The new school year is officially upon us, and Kailey is sharing what parents and guardians of grieving children should expect. In our August Grief in Brief, “Going Back to School After a Death,” learn more about the complex emotions grieving children might face in the coming weeks, and how to support them.

In this month’s Grief in Brief, How to be a Grief Ally, Peggy is joined by Jenny Lisk – host of the Widowed Parent Podcast, and bestselling author of “Future Widow: Losing My Husband, Saving My Family, and Finding My Voice.” We’re thrilled to share her expertise and tips for being an ally to those we love that are grieving the death of a loved one. Listen in!

In this month’s Grief in Brief, “SandCastles Camp,” Kailey Hanrath previews what to expect from grief camp. Whether your child has joined us before, or you’re considering having your child try it out, have a listen!

In this month’s episode of Grief in Brief, Kailey Hanrath chats with Holly Brozowski about her experience with SandCastles, grief, and children as a volunteer.

In this month’s Grief in Brief “How to Talk to Children About Death & Dying,” Kailey and Peggy are breaking down the best ways to discuss the death of a loved one with the children in your life.

In this month’s Grief in Brief episode, “Our SandCastles Philosophies,” Kailey Hanrath is giving us an inside look at the six pillars and philosophies that guide SandCastles as an organization.

In February’s Grief in Brief, “Grief at Work,” Kailey and Peggy are shining a light on how we can process our grief in a workplace that doesn’t always give us the space to do so.

In January’s Grief in Brief, Kailey Hanrath covers how we can embrace life’s imperfections as we enter 2023. Whether you’re eager to begin a new year and leave behind the imperfections of 2022, or you’re feeling anxious for what’s to come, we’re here to help.

In our December 2022 episode of Grief in Brief, Self Care is Preservation, Kailey and Peggy chat about why it’s so important to check in with yourself. When you need a little extra care, it’s okay to give yourself some attention.

In November 2022’s episode of Grief in Brief, Peggy and Kailey provide us with helpful ideas about how to best help and support our loved ones that are grieving the death of a loved one.

In this month’s Grief in Brief episode, Kailey Hanrath and Peggy Nielsen discuss the importance of Children’s Grief Awareness Month, along with several reasons that managing grief is so critical to healthy emotional development.

September is Suicide Awareness Month. In September’s edition of Grief in Brief, and in honor of Suicide Awareness Month, Kailey had an open conversation with SandCastles alum Leah Bengel about her mother’s death by suicide. Help us spread awareness about how to best support your loved ones that are grieving a suicide death.

In this month’s Grief in Brief episode, Kailey and Peggy discuss your impact on SandCastles. Here, they break down SandCastles services and what your much-appreciated donated dollars provide for grieving children and their families. We couldn’t do what we do without YOU!

In this month’s Grief in Brief episode, Kailey and Peggy break down the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model, thanks to studies conducted by Judi’s House and the JAG Institute. We have some key takeaways that we think are important to share with our community.

In episode 13 of Grief in Brief, Peggy and Kailey are back with some great ideas for keeping kids in a stable routine throughout the summer. Routine and predictability are so important for kids and teens, especially those grieving a loved one or adjusting to a significant life change.

In episode 12 of Grief in Brief, Peggy talks about the importance of learning in Grief. Whether it’s practicing better self-care or growing your self-awareness, dedicate yourself to the learning during your grief journey. It’ll be worth it in the end.

In episode 11 of Grief in Brief, Peggy and Kailey are taking time to reflect as we surpass the 2-year anniversary of the pandemic. Our programs have pivoted, our community has changed, but we’re still here working to ensure no child is left to grieve alone.

And just like that, we’re on our 10th Episode of Grief in Brief! This month, Peggy and Kailey are discussing all of the incredible lessons they’ve learned through SandCastles.

In episode 9 of Grief in Brief, Kailey and Peggy are breaking down the Winter Blues and what you can do about them. Listen in!

During our live episode of Grief in Brief, Peggy and Kailey share activity ideas you can work together on as a family this holiday season!

DID YOU KNOW – Today is National Children’s Grief Awareness Day? To further shed light on childhood grief and its importance, we are excited to introduce our 8th episode of Grief in Brief: Talking with Children About Death. We know these conversations will be difficult, but they are so critical to a child’s present and future mental health and wellness.

In honor of National Children’s Grief Awareness Month, we’re releasing bonus Grief in Brief content! Check out Episode 7: Managing the Holiday Season for some help and preparation to navigate your grief in the coming months.

In Episode 6 of our Grief in Brief series, Peggy and Kailey are gearing up for National Children’s Grief Awareness Month in November. They cover why healthy grieving as a child is so important and how it can change the trajectory of a child’s life. It’s worth a listen!

In Episode 5 of our Grief in Brief series, we are thrilled to be introducing our Humor is Healing campaign. Throughout the month of October, we will be sharing helpful information, along with clips of our program participants sharing their favorite jokes.

In Episode 4 of our Grief in Brief series, Peggy and Kailey are redefining what it means to be strong! Resilience in grief lies within conversation, so let’s be strong together and talk about it.

In Episode 3 of our Grief in Brief series, our topic is Coming to Grief Camp. Kailey and Peggy go over the beauty of SandCastles Camp – where all feelings are welcomed and grieving children can be reminded that they are not alone.