How to Reassure Kids the Family Isn’t Broken After a Loss 

Parenting Perspective 

Love Within the Family Remains Intact 

When a child expresses that the family feels ‘broken,’ they are describing the deep sense of loss and disruption that grief brings. For them, the presence of their grandmother may have represented stability, love, or special traditions, and without her, they fear that those bonds have weakened. What your children need most right now is the reassurance that while sadness is real, the love within the family remains intact. 

Acknowledge Their Pain Directly 

You can start by acknowledging their pain directly: ‘Yes, things feel different without her, and it hurts.’ This validates their feelings rather than trying to cover them with quick comfort. From there, show them that love in the family continues through small, intentional acts. Shared meals, bedtime routines, or gathering for short family conversations about your day can re-establish a rhythm that anchors them. 

Include Them in Remembrance 

Including your children in remembering their grandmother can also bring healing. Invite them to share memories, look through photos, or carry on a small tradition she valued. This teaches them that grief does not erase love but transforms it into remembrance and continued connection. It also shows them that the family can grow around loss rather than being defined by it. 

Create Moments of Warmth 

The home atmosphere matters as well. Creating moments of warmth through laughter, play, or shared prayer together reminds your children that even though someone beloved has gone, safety and love remain strong in the relationships still present. Over time, these small reassurances will rebuild their sense of security. 

Spiritual Insight 

Bonds Extend Beyond This World 

Grief is heavy, but Islam teaches us that our bonds with loved ones extend beyond this world. 

Indeed We Belong to Allah 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al-Baqarah (2), Verse 156: 

‘Those are the people when they come across any tribulation; they say “Indeed, we (came) from Allah (Almighty) and indeed, we will return to Him”’.  

This Verse reminds us that while death brings separation, it also brings us back to the mercy of Allah, and the living continue with patience and hope of reunion in the Hereafter. 

Strength Is Facing Trials with Resilience and Faith 

It is recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 1, Hadith 79, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, while there is good in both.’  

Strength here is not the absence of sadness, but the ability to face trials with resilience and faith. By guiding your children to express their grief while also grounding them in family love and remembrance of Allah, you are helping them become strong believers. 

Through shared memories, consistent family care, and spiritual grounding, you can reassure your children that although your grandmother’s passing has changed the family, it has not broken it. Instead, her legacy can be the thread that continues to hold you together in love and faith.