“Grief has a way of seeping from the inside out in the most unexpected ways. Being prepared and open to field unexpected situations, with keeping in mind honoring the deceased parent in that whole picture, is probably one of the most important things that you can bring to the relationship. I believe that remaining open to ways to help a child navigate their grief process is going to be one of the keys to deepening that relationship, which then unlocks the door to so many other wonderful things.”
~Diane Ingram Fromme, author of Stepparenting the Grieving Child
I learned so much from talking with Diane Ingram Fromme for this episode. Diane is the author of “Stepparenting the Grieving Child: Cultivating Past and Present Connections with Children Who Have Lost a Parent.” She married a widower with kids, thus becoming a step mom to two young kids who were grieving the loss of their mom. She entered this role full of optimism, and found it much harder than she expected. She couldn’t find any books on stepparenting grieving kids so she did extensive research and decided to write that book herself.
Some of the topics we discussed include:
If you’re a widow who has remarried, or someone who has married into or is considering marrying into a widowed family, I highly recommend reading Diane’s book. I think you’ll find lots of advice and perspective that will help as you embark on this new phase of your family’s life.
I hope you enjoy my discussion with Diane Ingram Fromme.
