We are a culture that has long struggled to figure out how to talk openly about grief and show up for one another while it’s happening. People who have experienced grief know this all too well, and research backs it up. Based on a recent Harris poll conducted with Experience Camps for grieving children: While 89% of Americans agree that everyone should learn to talk about grief, only 30% say they know what to do or say when someone is grieving. 

That’s a problem. Especially since every single one of us will experience the grief that comes from the death of someone close to us. It is unavoidable.

And it’s most definitely a huge problem for the 6 million kids who will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the time they’re 18. As the director of communications and a volunteer camp counselor at Experience Camps, I hear firsthand from young people how lonely and isolated they feel in their grief. For doulas who may be supporting those with children, understanding some basic facts about grief and young people is important.