Parenting Challenges After the Death of a Child

In the midst of the pervasive sense of loss at the death of a child, many bereaved parents must also contend with the challenges of parenting their surviving, bereft children. Parents are not the only ones devastated by a child’s death, as siblings are also deeply wounded by the loss. The unique aspects of the sibling relationship lead to wide-ranging and enduring consequences following the death of a sister or brother. This chapter is an abridged treatment of a more exhaustive study of the experience of parenting after the death of a child. The devastating impact of the death of a sibling has the potential to alter the personality characteristics and behavior of surviving children. The mothers and fathers in our study also noticed significant post-loss identity transformations in their child(ren); whereas some of these changes were considered constructive and eased parenting demands, others were viewed as troublesome or worrying and required more active, determined, and creative parenting.