Access Free Resources and Learn About Grief in Families
A decade ago, few resources existed for widowed parents. There was little information on how to talk to your children about the death of their other parent, let alone how you could parent them through it. Today, there are research centers studying widowed parent-led families, international conferences to support the widowed, virtual villages, podcasts, books, and so much more. In 2016, two years after being widowed, our founder started Widowed Parent Project as a Facebook group to connect to other young widowed parents because she couldn't find support locally. And then she set out to write a book because she realized there wasn't enough information to help her either. We hope you'll explore the resources and services below to learn more or click on the Map to More tab to find other trusted partners to support you and your family on your journey.
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Widowed Parent Project first got its start as a moderated Facebook group and we still exist today as a community for widowed parents with children under 21 at home.
Throughout the week, we share free resources, events, microlearning, and more with our #GriefTwitter community.
Join along @widowedpp.
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Our Instagram content focuses on grief education for bereaved families. Follow us to learn everyday tips to help you cope, help your children make sense of what is happening, and pick up some self-care tips along the way.
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Need more than we offer here?
From podcasts to research on widowed parenting to a virtual village of support, there is a lot more to explore and we've collected the most helpful resources all in one place.
BY JEANETTE KONCIKOWSKI, FOUNDER OF WIDOWED PARENT PROJECT
When you are widowed with young children, you quickly find yourself the survivors of a familial shipwreck. Tossed into the dark waters, snatched away from the life you had planned, you surface and grab a hold onto whatever is floating by. While the enormous questions of What Now? and What Next? swirl all around, you find moments of connection to pull you from one wave to the next until you eventually reach shore. Bereft and heartbroken, you must rebuild your life using only what you find and eventually, you are faced with the choice of hunkering down on the shore or setting sail again.
SHIPWRECKED offers widowed parents a life preserver. Presented as a teaching memoir, it weaves personal stories from one family's experience with practical tips and strategies for surviving and then thriving. It is a book on how to parent your children through the loss of their other parent and how to care for yourself as you do so..
A must -read for all widowed parents, the book explores common decisions facing widowed parents,including how to talk with children about the loss of their parent, how to involve children in memorials and meaning-making, getting closure in your marriage, coping with secondary losses and milestones, grappling with the impact of solo parenting on body, mind, and spirit, dealing with children’s grief over time and across their development, how to build a life you love and honor your beloved's legacy.
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Shipwrecked: A Memoir of Widowed Parenting and Life After Loss
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Affiliated Services
Our primary purpose at Widowed Parent Project is to create community and expand access to grief education for widowed parents. Our founder, Jeanette, also offers the following affiliated services at low-cost for widowed community members or community organizations interested in grief education.
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In addition to her lived experience as a widow, Jeanette has a background in trauma counseling and education. As such, she provides consultation and training to professionals on
trauma, family bereavement, and grief.
Our low-fee coaching service offers widows and widowers one-to-one support. If you are ready to navigate to what's next, Jeanette can help guide you to a future where you and your family thrive.
Jeanette is also available to speak with your audience about her story, grief and parenting, trauma and healing, and much more.
She is also available for author events and book signings for her new memoir, Shipwrecked.
