My 'Happy Bag' by Chloe

Chloe, aged 11, decided to make her own ‘Happy Bag’ full of things that support her when she has difficult days, following the death of her baby brother Ethan. Here she explains what each item in her bag means to her.

I've put in a ballet dancer key-ring. I've attended ballet classes since I was 3 and my dream is to be a professional ballet dancer.

"Inside my Happy Bag, I have: A teddy from my best friend because it reminds me of all the fun and happy times we have had together since we met on our first day at Primary School. The homemade Christmas Card is from my other best friend who I have known since I was 3, we also have lots of fun times and bake together. My fan is from Lanzarote, and reminds me of our holidays there and the fun I have in the swimming pool.

"The shells are from our holidays in Cornwall; I first went when I was 2 years old for my Mum and Dad's Honeymoon an" we go back a lot...it’s our 'Happy Place'! My favourite place is on the beach. I've put in a ballet dancer key-ring. I've attended ballet classes since I was 3 and my dream is to be a professional ballet dancer. I've also put in a bookmark as I love reading, a Christmas bell that says 'Ring for Presents' as I love Christmas, and a dog bone key-ring to remind me of my dog."

Chloe with her Happy Bag

Latest

Festival Volunteering FAQs
London to Brighton Cycle

London - Brighton
Opinion: Why bereavement awareness needs to be on the business agenda

Jane Wood, CEO of Homes for Scotland and Scotland Advisor for Child Bereavement UK, writes about the importance of embedding bereavement awareness in businesses across the UK.
Petition launched calling for a register of bereaved children

A petition, backed by Winston's Wish, Child Bereavement UK and the Childhood Bereavement Network, is calling on government to create a register of bereaved children.

Telling a child that someone has died

It is important to tell a child of any age when someone important in their lives has died, and ideally this is done by someone who is closest to them.
Supporting bereaved children and young people

Children and young people grieve just as much as adults but they show it in different ways. Find out how you can help them and more about child grieving.
Grieving for a child of any age

The agony of losing a child of any age is unparalleled. There is no age or point in time that makes it any easier. No parent expects to face the death of their child and no grandparent expects to lose their grandchild.
When a grandparent dies - the impact on children and young people

The death of a grandparent is often a child or young person’s first encounter with the death of someone important. Parents have a great deal to manage when their own parent or carer dies. There is the grief associated with their own loss, but also the reactions and responses of their children to the death of a grandparent.
Children's understanding of death at different ages

Babies and young children have no understanding of the concept of death yet, long before they are able to talk, babies are likely to react to upset and changes in their environment brought about by the absence of a significant person.
Child Bereavement UK training

Child Bereavement UK designs and delivers training for professionals in health and social care, education, the emergency services and the voluntary and corporate sectors, equipping them to provide the best possible care to bereaved families.
Contact us

Contact details for our Helpline, departments and services.
When your baby dies

When a baby lives only a short time or dies before birth due to miscarriage, stillbirth or a painful decision to end the pregnancy, people may assume that the loss is not important. This is simply not the case.
Children's understanding of death at different ages

Guidance on children's understanding of death at different ages and stages of development.
UK death & bereavement statistics

A parent of children under 18 dies every 22 minutes in the UK; around 23,600 a year. This equates to around 111 children being bereaved of a parent every day.