The child needs to:

1) make an effort to locate the deceased

• the location may be different depending on how families choose to label the location; for example the deceased parent is located in heaven or in his/her grave at the cemetery

2) actually experience the deceased in some way

• examples: believing the parent is watching over them, or having a dream about the deceased

3) reach out to initiate a connection

• examples: visiting the cemetery, writing letters to deceased

4) remember the deceased with waking memories or thoughts

5) keep something that belonged to the deceased

• this helps child to maintain a link to the deceased