Dealing with any kind of loss or grief is never easy – especially for a child or teen when emotions can run particularly high. And as a parent, supporting your child through these difficult times can prove to be one of the biggest challenges.

Whether it’s the loss of a pet, a grandparent or a breakup, it can be daunting trying to figure out the emotional and lasting impact a certain situation or event can have on your child. As our individual responses to grief, and what we each constitute as grief can vary, we sometimes risk coming across as lacking empathy or misinterpreting their feelings – even if it’s completely unintentional.

To help us navigate this emotional minefield, we’ve turned to our resident parenting expert, Nathan Wallis, for some great tips on how you can best support your kids in their time of need.

Nathan Wallis is a Neuroscience Educator, nib health insurance parenting expert and regular media commentator. He hosts sold-out learning events for parents up and down the country (and abroad), talking to different stages of child development – including the first 1000 days - and how parents can support their children in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.