The Childrens Room » Resources

Upcoming Workshop: Understanding the Challenges of Loss in Adolescents – May 22

betzi — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:44:28 +0000

For most, adolescence is a period of life defined by growth and new beginnings. Yet for many teens it can be a time marred by grief and turmoil. This workshop will explore how teens make sense of and negotiate between these two competing worlds. Social workers, counselors, teachers, parents, and any adult working with teens will learn tools and strategies to work with and support teens through all kinds of loss.

This workshop is scheduled for Saturday, May 22 from 9:30am-4:30pm at our house in Arlington. For more information and registration for this and our other three workshops (each focused on a different age group), please visit our Spring-Summer Workshop Series page.

Your Changing Relationship with Your In-Laws – Sunday Night Discussion, May 2

betzi — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 12:17:16 +0000

How has your relationship with your in-laws changed after your spouse’s death? Was it a good relationship before the death? Have they continued to make you feel that you are and will continue to be a part of their family? Or perhaps it is too painful for them to remain in close contact. You and/or your children are a constant reminder of their beloved. You need to feel close to those who loved your spouse too. After all, they knew your spouse longer than you did, and have more stories to share with your children.

Our Parent Alumni Group is hosting a discussion group around this topic on Sunday, May 2, from 6:30-8:00 pm. Alumni parents, current parents, and waitlist parents are all welcome, as well as anyone interested in joining the discussion.

To attend, please RSVP by emailing info@childrensroom.org.
The group meets at The Children’s Room, 1210 Mass Ave, Arlington.

Finding the Right Summer Camp

betzi — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 02:53:59 +0000

There are several summer camp programs in Massachusetts and beyond that have been developed for children and teens who are grieving the loss of a loved one. These programs include:

Camp	Date(s)	Ages	Location
Camp Angel Wings	July 24 & 25	Ages 5-17	Mattapoisett
Camp Stepping Stones	July 10 & 11		Beverly Farms
Cranberry Hospice	July 13 – August 10	Children & tweens	Plymouth
The Manitou Experience	August 22-27	Boys grades 5-8	Oakland, ME
The Circle of Tapawingo	August 23-28	Girls grades 3-7	Sweden, ME
Camp Sunshine	May 27-31	3 months-18 years	Casco Bay, ME
Camp Erin	June 25-27	Ages 6-17	Camp Welch
Comfort Zone Camp	July 15-18	Ages 7-18	Mechanicsville, VA
Heroic Journey	June 25 – August 8	Ages 14-18, 19-24	Denver, CO

You will find information on this selection of camps on our Summer Programs page.

Drop-In Discussion Group – May 12

betzi — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:26:27 +0000

Our parent alumni group is hosting a monthly series of informal discussions on Wednesday evenings. The discussions are open to any parent or guardian of a family who has experienced the loss of a spouse or a child. We hope these discussion groups will be especially supportive for the adults in families on our waitlist.

Topics may include anything from how to answer your children’s questions, to how to ask for help from family and friends. Not only will you find sensitivity and kindness from this group, but you will also be meeting other parents who are struggling with the adjustment to the new reality of life without your loved ones.

We meet at the house in Arlington from 7:00-8:30 pm.

Please RSVP to kim@childrensroom.org to help us best prepare for the meeting. Light refreshments will be served. We apologize that we are not able to offer childcare at this time. We look forward to welcoming you to any or all of our drop-in discussions!

Teens Share Personal Stories of Loss through Performance

betzi — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:53:30 +0000

The Children’s Room Teen Performance Troupe has been on the road, performing their original skits and answering candid questions in middle schools, high schools, colleges, and social service agencies across Massachusetts. The teens bravely and honestly share their personal grief stories and experiences with their audiences.

So often kids hold feelings of grief deep inside, and their grief is unrecognized and unacknowledged. These teens reach out to others with the message that breaking this silence is redemptive and healing.

The Teen Performance Troupe is an integral part of The Children’s Room outreach and education effort in our communities, so that our message of hope and compassion reaches many more children in diverse neighborhoods and schools. For many children whose families cannot access bereavement services, the teen troupe brings empathy and validation.

The troupe performance calendar includes dates for Lexington, Plymouth, and Newton schools, Tufts and BC, and a bereavement center in Northampton. Please contact us if you would like to learn more about scheduling a performance, or read more about The Teen Performance Troupe.

We invite everyone to join us at the Belmont Hill School on June 6th for the final public performance of the season.

Summer Camp Open House Hosted by TCR Sunday – March 28

betzi — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:10:32 +0000

Looking for a summer camp with a program that is fun and rewarding while addressing your child’s grief from a significant death in their life? Two very special one-week overnight camp programs in Maine will be present at an open house at 5:00pm this Sunday at The Children’s Room. Pizza and refreshments will be served.

The Manitou Experience is for boys entering grades 5-8 who have experienced a significant death-loss. Camp is scheduled for August 22-27 this year.
The Circle of Tapawingo program is for girls entering grades 3-7 who have lost a parent. Camp is scheduled for August 23-28 this year.

All are welcome at the open house, but please RSVP to Jenny Kaplan-Schreiber at jenny@manitouexperience.org so that materials and refreshments can be prepared appropriately.

Upcoming Workshop: Supporting Young Adults Coping with Loss – April 3

betzi — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:43:49 +0000

It has been estimated that 22 – 30% of college students have experienced the death of a family member or friend within the last year. This workshop, intended for college and university counseling center staff and other providers working with young adult populations, will explore the intersection of typical developmental issues and the experience of bereavement.

This workshop is scheduled for Saturday, April 3 from 9:30am-4:30pm at our house in Arlington. For more information and registration for this and our other three workshops (each focused on a different age group), please visit our Spring-Summer Workshop Series page.

Spring-Summer Workshop Series Registration Open

betzi — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:47:46 +0000

We offer a series of workshops that provide practical information and strategies to address challenging topics related to death, divorce, illness, or any crisis of loss. These workshops are open to the community, and continuing education credits are available for participants. Workshops run from 9:30 am – 4:30 pm at our house in Arlington.

Our Spring-Summer Workshop Series runs from March-July. Each workshop is offered two times:

Teens in Transition: Understanding the Challenges of Loss in Adolescents
March 6, 2010 | May 22, 2010

If We Lost Uncle David, Why Can’t We Go Find Him? Strategies for Talking with Young Children about Death, Dying and Loss
March 13, 2010 | July 19, 2010

Fostering Resiliency in Children Coping with Death, Illness and Other Losses
March 20, 2010 | July 20, 2010

Supporting Young Adults Coping with Loss
April 3, 2010 | July 21, 2010

For workshop descriptions, fees, and registration information, please visit our Spring-Summer Workshop Series page.

Helping Your Teenager Through Their Loss – Sunday Night Discussion, March 7

betzi — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:04:51 +0000

Our Parent Alumni Group is hosting a discussion group on Sunday, March 7, from 6:30-8:00 pm.

Please join us for an evening of conversation around the topic of helping your teenager through their loss. Alumni parents, current parents, and waitlist parents are all welcome, as well as anyone interested in joining the discussion around this topic.

RSVP by emailing info@childrensroom.org. The group meets at The Children’s Room, 1210 Mass Ave, Arlington.

HFA Webinar Series: Helping Children & Adolescents Cope with Grief & Loss

betzi — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:20:09 +0000

Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) is presenting a webinar series on helping children and adolescents cope with grief and loss:

1. Bereavement Camps for Kids: Benefits and Challenges – February 1, 1:00-2:30pm ET
2. Bereaved Children & Adolescents: Lessons from Research – April 14, 1:00-2:30pm ET
3. Grieving Children & Adolescents: The Role of Internet Support – June 15, 1:00-2:30pm ET

The series will be hosted by nationally-known expert Kenneth Doka, Senior Bereavement Consultant to HFA. The webinars will look at lessons learned, emerging trends, and how to use bereavement camps and other strategies to best serve grieving children in their communities.

For more information about topics, speakers, fees, and registration, please visit the HFA website page for Helping Children & Adolescents Cope with Grief & Loss Webinars.

We are also very proud to announce that the Hospice Foundation of America will be featuring artwork from The Children’s Room in their companion book and program for their 2010 National Bereavement Teleconference – Living with Grief: Cancer and End-of-Life Care. To see the program cover, you can visit the HFA Teleconference page.

The Hospice Foundation of America provides education and information to help people cope with terminal illness, death, and the process of grief. They offer resources for both professionals and individuals including brochures, books, dvds, webinars, and courses.