Susan, your host, welcomes Jenny Lisk to today's episode. Jenny is a widowed parent of two grieving kids. After interviewing over 100 experts on the topic of widowed parenting for the Widowed Parent Podcast, she learned that there are some key principles and tips about parenting grieving kids that newly widowed parents probably don't know about.
Jenny is the author of an award-winning book named Future Widow (which has endorsements from many prominent children's grief experts). Her family's story is told as a memoir where she has explicitly worked in themes about parenting grieving kids. This amazing book is about more than children's grief, it's about rebuilding a life after loss.
Key Takeaways:
- Jenny shares her grief story.
- Susan and Jenny talk about that day that changes life forever, and how that moment gave them the perspective and intention to be present and try to enjoy every moment.
- Jenny talks about the moment she decided she was going to help other parents with grieving children (while she and her children were dealing with the tsunami of pain that grief imposed on them).
- Jenny found that she could host a podcast and be the one who asks questions to the experts, representing other grieving people who transited similar journeys to hers.
- Jenny speaks about how walking is a meditative activity for her.
- Jenny talks about the roles of instrumental and intuitive grievers.
- Jenny talks about her book Future Widow.
- Jenny shares her struggle figuring out how to end the book.
- Sometimes two opposite things can be true, you don't have to reconcile them.
- Jenny talks to grieving parents: It is important to be honest with kids, especially about difficult topics, it nurtures a strong bond of trust between the child and the surviving parent.
- If you are supporting a grieving parent, keep in mind that you cannot solve the underlying problem, but you can contribute to their everyday life, help them with meals or drive their kids to school; it will show them you care.
Resources
Tendrilsofgrief.com
Email Susan: susan@tendrilsofgrief.com
Grieving Beyond Gender: Understanding the Ways Men and Women Mourn, by Kenneth J. Doka and Terry L. Martin
Meet Jenny Lisk
Learn more about Jenny
Future Widow
The Widowed Parent Podcast
