The concept of “gone forever” or “death” for a child aged 5-7 is still developing. ‘Are they coming back? Did I do something? Is it because of me?’, is the child's guilt, according to the Child Bereavement UK organization.

 

Where Did They Go? is a 4 element toolkit that supports 5-7 year old children who are facing the loss of a loved one. The 4 elements that constitute this toolkit are: a letterbox, a pop-up picture book, an interactive journal and a worry stone. 

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This toolkit realises that children grieve in chunks, called "puddle jumping", producing somatic reactions; misunderstood as tantrums. Children grieve differently. The 5C's, as the Children's Grief Foundation of Canada highlights are the causes, the inability to control or cure, fear of catching, and caregiver concern.

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Questions I built this project upon :

-> How can I explain grief to 5-7 year old children without being overwhelming or preachy, while safeguarding them?

 

-> How can I show caregivers and children what grief could look like?

 

-> How can I make a tool that children choose themselves, find engaging, collaborative and safe?

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The elements in detail:

The Letter Box & A Letter:

Where Did They Go, the toolkit, is housed in a letterbox. Like the letters we write to the people special to us, this letterbox  arrives as ‘mail’ for the children, the parents, charity workers and the caregivers. This acts as the first point of contact for the children and through the course of using the toolkit, becomes a 'memory jar'. Addressed to every parent and caregiver is a letter, acknowledging their emotions, empathising with their role, and thereby introducing them and the children to the toolkit Where Did They Go.

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The Pop-up Picture Book

Using nature and turtles as the theme and protagonists respectively, this picture book Where Did He Go shares how a young turtle copes with grief and loss. The book does so by acknowledging puddle jumping, the guilt and the feeling of confusion that 5-7 year old children face. A method used by art and child therapists, building a Memory Jar, has been actively used to act as a method to coping grief. 

< Click to read more about the picture book >

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The Together Journal

This journal stands by them, is built with them, and for them. The Together Journal is filled with spaces to draw with some prompts, pages to document their day and emotions by drawing and using stickers, having pages they could tear apart and stick things on. This journal also provides the children with simple breathing exercises to relieve the pent up emotions.

< Click to read more about the together journal >

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A Worry Stone

According to multiple therapists and research, the worry stone triggers the brain to release endorphins to soothe the mind and body, and helps relieve anxiety and stress. With the size and form of the worry stone, it is designed to be carried anywhere, without feeling isolated. Taking from the character of the picture book, the structure of this worry stone is such that children do not feel isolated if using a worry stone in public.