Continuing Bonds While Making New Connections: Supporting Grieving Children as Families Change

What happens when a surviving parent begins dating after the death of their child’s other parent? How can families make room for new relationships while continuing to honour the parent who died?

These are important questions for bereaved families, yet they are not always part of the conversation when we talk about supporting grieving children and teens.

I’m excited to share that my presentation proposal has been accepted for the 2026 Canadian Children’s Grief Symposium, taking place virtually on November 12 and 13, 2026. Hosted by the Canadian Alliance for Children’s Grief and its partner organizations, this national symposium brings together professionals and practitioners who support grieving children, youth, and families across Canada.

Why we need to talk about grief and blended families

When a parent dies, a child’s grief does not end when life begins to look different again. Over time, a surviving parent may begin dating, develop a new relationship, and eventually consider introducing a new partner into the family.

These changes can bring hope and connection, but they can also create complicated feelings for children and teens. A child might worry about forgetting their parent who died, feel conflicted about welcoming someone new, or struggle with changes to family roles and relationships. They may feel happy for their surviving parent while also wishing their family could return to how it was before the death.

There is no single way children experience these transitions. Their responses can depend on their developmental stage, their relationship with the parent who died, the time that has passed, and how changes are introduced and navigated within the family.

Meanwhile, surviving parents are navigating their own grief while trying to make decisions about their future. New partners may be entering a family shaped by bereavement without having experienced the death of a spouse or parent themselves. Everyone is learning how to build relationships within a family that has changed.

Making room for new connections does not mean leaving the person who died behind.

Children need opportunities to maintain their connection with their deceased parent while figuring out what new relationships mean for them. They also need adults who can make space for mixed feelings without rushing them to accept change or making them responsible for a parent’s happiness.

My presentation: Continuing Bonds While Making New Connections

In my presentation, Continuing Bonds While Making New Connections: Helping Grieving Children Navigate a Parent Dating Again, I’ll draw on my clinical work with bereaved children and teens, as well as adults parenting after the death of a spouse.

We’ll explore the emotional and relational challenges that can emerge when families begin to change after a death, with practical guidance for navigating this often-overlooked stage of bereavement.

Participants will learn practical “what to do” and “what not to do” strategies to support children as a surviving parent begins dating and a new partner gradually becomes part of family life.

We’ll consider how parents, therapists, counsellors, and program providers can: 

– Recognize and validate children’s grief as family relationships evolve.

– Support children who experience loyalty conflicts, uncertainty, or complicated feelings about a parent’s new relationship.

– Honour continuing bonds with the parent who died while making space for new relationships.

– Approach conversations, introductions, and changing family roles with care, patience, and attention to each child’s needs.

My hope is that participants leave feeling better equipped to support children through these transitions, while also recognizing the needs of surviving parents and the new partners joining their families.

Join me at the 2026 Canadian Children’s Grief Symposium

The Canadian Children’s Grief Symposium is a virtual learning opportunity for people who support grieving children and youth in healthcare, education, social services, counselling, and community settings. The program includes sessions led by grief practitioners and educators from across Canada, offering opportunities to learn, connect, and bring practical ideas back to your work and community.

Whether you are a therapist, counsellor, educator, grief program provider, or a professional supporting bereaved families, I hope you’ll join us for this important conversation.

The death of a parent changes a family. As that family continues to grow and change, children deserve support that makes room for both their ongoing grief and their new connections.

Explore the symposium program and register:
https://www.grievingchildrencanada.org/index.php/grief-symposium

I look forward to connecting with fellow professionals who are committed to ensuring grieving children and families feel understood, supported, and less alone.