First, take a breath in with a long exhale, and answer the following questions:

•  Can I be honest with my own grief?

• Can I acknowledge how my body is feeling?
  
  The answers to these questions are critical. To support grieving children caregivers and adults must recognize their own reactions and needs too. Without transparent acknowledgement of your own experience, adults unintentionally dysregulate children. This dysregulation increases mixed messages, and causes unintentional confusion.  
  
  
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