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Welcome Back No Problem Parents! In this episode, I connect with Erika Boike to discuss her family's journey through the profound loss of their beloved son, Charlie. Erika shares how her family has found resilience and hope, turning their heartbreak into a lasting legacy that honors Charlie's memory and supports their community. We explore the creation of the Skate Free Charlie memorial fund, the impactful initiatives that have emerged from it, and Erika's mission to inspire others through her story of strength and love. Connect with Erika and learn more by clicking the links below: LinkedIn: Erika Boike SkateFreeCharlie.org Donate to the Charlie Boike Memorial Fund Thank you for tuning in to the No Problem Parenting podcast - Please take a minute to share the podcast, comment or leave a review. Be sure to listen to EP 285 to learn more about how you can turn your passion into your purpose. We've also included a link in EP 285 to donate to CureSearch for Childrens Cancer. in support and memorial of David, Michele Benyo's son and the inspiration for her company, Good Grief Parenting. Become the Confident Leader Your Kids Crave you to be! Get started here: Become a No-Problem Parent Book Your 90 Minute Strategy Session Follow us: FB - IG - LinkedIn Check out our Books! No-Problem Parenting; Raising Your Kiddos with More Confidence and Less Fear No Problem Parenting; Resources and Stories that Create Confidence and Connection Hugs and High Fives, You Got This! Jaci Finneman 30 Year Counselor turned Parenting Advocate and Coach FREE PARENTING RESOURCES: 60 Ways to Respond to Your Kids without Losing Your Cool Make it Right Technique PDF Everyday Essentials eBook Better Sleep: Decrease Stress with the 7-Day free trial of NuCalm Enter Code: NOPROBLEM for 15% off all products.
In this episode of the No Problem Parenting™ Podcast, we're excited to be joined by Rha Goddess, the entrepreneurial soul coach who has helped countless changemakers, cultural visionaries, and social entrepreneurs find their true calling. Rha shares her insights on how balancing your passions with your parental duties can help you become the confident leader your kids crave you to be. We also explore how taking care of your own needs directly benefits your children, creating resilience, self-awareness, and strength in your family. Before beginning our conversation into Rha's powerful message, we highlight the inspiring work of Michele Benyo, a previous guest and author in our first book, No Problem Parenting: Raising Your Kiddos with Less Fear and More Confidence. Michele's journey through the loss of her son David led her to create Good Grief Parenting, where she helps families navigate grief and find hope. Michele is currently raising funds for CureSearch for Children's Cancer, and we encourage you to support her mission. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Practical strategies for balancing your passions with your parental responsibilities. How finding your true calling can help you lead your family with confidence. The importance of self-care in parenting and how it benefits your children. Insights from Rha Goddess on living, working, and parenting with purpose. Key Links and Resources: Support Michele Benyo's CureSearch Ultimate Hike Fundraiser: smpl.ro/CureSearchUltimateHike (Donations accepted through October 2024. After that, please visit http://smpl.ro/CureSearchHome to continue supporting pediatric cancer research.) Good Grief Parenting: http://smpl.ro/GoodGriefParenting (If you need support for your grieving child, whether due to sibling loss, a divorce, or any other kind of childhood loss, reach out to Michele Benyo for guidance and resources.) Learn More About Rha Goddess and Move The Crowd: Website: http://smpl.ro/MovetheCrowd LinkedIn: http://smpl.ro/RhaGoddessonLinkedIn Instagram: @RhaGoddess Previous Episodes Mentioned: Episode 47 - Early Childhood Sibling Loss: The Truth About Grief with Michele Benyo: Listen Here Join the Conversation: Subscribe to the Podcast: Be sure to hit the subscribe button so you never miss an episode of No Problem Parenting! Share this podcast with your friends, teachers, and daycare providers. Follow Us on Social Media: Stay connected with No Problem Parenting™ on social media for more tips, resources, and support @noproblemparents Jaci Finneman is a 30-year counselor turned parenting coach and the host of No Problem Parenting™ Podcast. Her mission is to help parents become the confident leaders their kids crave them to be. Through this podcast, Jaci shares hundreds of resources and strategies designed to boost your confidence and energize your parenting journey. FREE PARENTING RESOURCES: 60 Ways to Respond to Your Kids without Losing Your Cool Make it Right Technique PDF Everyday Essential Solutions eBook for the whole family Better Sleep: Decrease Stress with the 7 Day free trial of NuCalm Enter Code: NOPROBLEM for 15% off all products. Become the Confident Leader Your Kids Crave you to be! Become a No-Problem Parent Book Your 90 Minute Strategy Session Put your oxygen mask on first: Find More Resources Here FB - IG - LinkedIn - YouTube - Twitter - Threads Check out our Books! No-Problem Parenting; Raising Your Kiddos with More Confidence and Less Fear No Problem Parenting; Resources and Stories that Create Confidence and Connection Hugs and High Fives, You Got This!
Michele Benyo shares the importance of teaching self-care in the ECE setting.
Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, early childhood educator and parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Her mission is twofold: to help parents through the unimaginable challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a child, and to equip parents to meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. Connect with Michele: https://www.goodgriefparenting.com; https://www.instagram.com/goodgriefpa... https://linktr.ee/goodgriefparenting Connect with Irina: https://linktr.ee/irina089https://www.irinashehovsov.com/ Read My Books: https://www.irinashehovsov.com/mybooks YouTube: https://bit.ly/2WHrkqM If you like to suggest future topics, please fill out this form (https://forms.gle/mgwWqHDMr1Srkx9h7) If you like to apply to be a guest (https://forms.gle/QTWQWxGX4EW1USNH6)
Michel Benyo is a grief coach. She specializes in helping Children deal with loss in their life. Having children of her own and losing one put her through a heart wrenching journey. While grieving, she learned how to help her daughter with her grief. As you listen to Michelle's stories and practical advice, you will feel better equipped to help those in your life deal with their grief. So many of us avoid grief, but there's a reason "good grief" is a common phrase; it's because there is a good way to do it. notbychance.comhttps://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparenting/
In this episode, I talk with Michele Benyo, Founder of Good Grief Parenting. When Michele's son David died of cancer at just 6 years old, his sister Deanna, then 3 said, "Mommy, half of me is gone." Already a teacher of early childhood development, Michele shifted her focus. Realizing how much support her daughter was going to need after this loss, Michele began teaching and coaching other bereaved families how to best support thier surviving children. We talk aboout how parallell set similar the journeys are for both parents as well as sibliings, and the unique challenges that losing a sibling brings. As a bereaved sibling myself, I am so grateful that there are others out there who are advocating for us, and making sure we have the tools we need to manage our own grief. Follow Michele and find out more at https://goodgriefparenting.com/
Have you or someone you know ever gone through the experience of losing a loved one? If so, you're not alone. In this episode, we explore stories of resilience, hope, and growth in the face of loss, and offer practical tips and insights for moving forward. Michele Benyo, a certified Grief Recovery Specialist, early childhood educator and parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. She shares her personal story, how she got into the field of helping grieving parents, how children experience grief differently than adults, and the challenges that adults face in dealing with it. Michele also discusses the importance of support groups during the grieving process and how spirituality can play a role in healing. We all know that losing a loved one can be a harrowing and challenging experience; even for therapists who are educated to assist others in coping with loss, Michele offers encouragement and advice to therapists and grieving people. Listen to this episode and discover the power of turning pain into purpose. Episode Highlights: Michele's personal story and how she became a grief recovery specialist Children's developmental stage and understanding of loss Importance of support groups in the grieving process Things Michele notices to her clients who is a parent grieving and also helping their child grieve Working on spirituality at home Early childhood child loss and sibling loss How they grow closer to God Michele explained what living forward is Starting her course with what she called Your Way Forward After Child Loss Is being spiritually positive and helpful for her patients as she walks with them? Words of encouragement and advice she gave to therapists who also go through grieving and people who are grieving. About Michele Benyo: Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, early childhood educator and parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. At a time when her steadfast Christian faith could have been shaken, Michele was able to remain steadfast, determined to discover gifts and offer blessings out of her pain. Her mission is twofold: to help parents through the unimaginable challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a child, and to equip parents to meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. Connect With Michele: Website| goodgriefparenting.com LinkedIn| www.linkedin.com/in/michelebenyo Instagram| www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting Facebook| www.facebook.com/goodgriefparenting FREE RESOURCES: The Good Grief Guide: www.goodgriefparenting.com Caregiver Letter: www.goodgriefparenting.com/caregiver-letter
In this episode, we speak with Michele Benyo. She shares her family's grief journey following the death of her son from cancer and talks about sibling loss and the effects it has on the family and the remaining siblings. Stay tuned! Here's what we talk about:What is the good parenting website about, and why was it created?Coming face to face with a child's griefThe tenderness of a child with cancerWhy grief isn't a linear processHow to say goodbye to your child in a meaningful way?How children grieve intermittentlyEducating parents about griefWays to keep the loss in the positive. About Michele Benyo:Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement focused Michele's career as an early childhood parenting expert on the impact of grief on young children, particularly after child loss. Michele equips parents and other caring adults to recognize young children's grief and to provide the support children need to build resilience and cope well with any loss. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families thrive after loss and live forward toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. Here are the social media links:Website: www.goodgriefparenting.comLinkTree: https://linktr.ee/goodgriefparentingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparenting/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentsraisingyoungsiblings FREE RESOURCES:The Good Grief Guide: www.goodgriefparenting.com/gggCaregiver Letter: www.goodgriefparenting.com/caregiver-letter TALK WITH MICHELE:https://calendly.com/ggparenting/talk-with-michele Connect with me!Website: https://www.understandinggrief.comLinkedIn: https://www.understandinggrief.com You don't have to grieve alone, as a coach I can help support you.Connect with me: Website: https://www.understandinggrief.com LinkedIn: https://www.understandinggrief.com
In part 2 of Dr. Laura Anderson's grief series, she invites Michele Benyo to discuss how to support kids who have had a sibling die during childhood.Little ones grieve differently and that grief moves with them through life. It is important to recognize that the way we explain grief to kids and the messages we give them can result in an unhealthy grieving process. Parents can benefit from understanding that grief isn't this thing to avoid. Dr. Laura and Michele share ways to approach these difficult subjects and big feelings with children.Michele Benyo helps families heal and live forward with grief after the death of their child. With the Good Grief Parenting Approach parents get in touch with their parenting wisdom so they can be confident that they are helping their bereaved young child grieve well and can be hopeful about a future for their family bright with possibilities and even joy.What You Will Learn:Recognizing how little ones grieve and how a sibling loss affects themGrief is goodTell your child when you're missing this person, open that conversationWhat children need is information, true and child appropriate - honest informationKids have big feelings that need to be acknowledgedSometimes you can't make them feel better - they need to understand that you can go through the emotion together even if there is no way to make the big feelings go awayModeling how to take care our ourselves - empowering agencyNotice the way we talk about deathMaking sure they understand this isn't the their faultSpecific tips for how to support kids and talk them through grief of any kindResources:www.goodgriefparenting.com
On this week's episode of the podcast, Katie interviews Michele Benyo, a Certified Grief Specialist who helps families navigate the loss of a child with a focus on sibling relationships. Michele experienced the loss of her 6 year old son due to cancer. Michele shares how her daughter still maintained her relationship with her son in the midst of several long hospitalizations and how she processed the loss of her brother. *trigger warning-- this episode talks about loss and grief * [4:15] Michele Introduces herself [5:47] How her career and experience with losing a child collided [7:30] Helping families cope with grief and loss [8:45] How her 3 year old articulated her loss [11:40] Even at 15 months Michele's daughter could tell something was wrong [13:24] Her daughter came with to see her brother frequently [15:15] The visits prepared her for reality [17:59] There is no right way to process grief [21:29] Her daughter was aware of the seriousness of the situation [22:46] The radiation chemo took a toll on his body [23:20] Learning how to say the word 'die' [25:40] On the plane with a family from their school [26:55] Preparation helped her cope with his death [28:40] Unsettling for. young children to not be aware of what is happening [30:50] Sharing about her daughter after her son's death [32:31] Asking about what grade David would be in [33:54] Middle School was challenging at times [35:48] How her daughter adjusts her perspective and compassion through her wisdom of the loss of her brother [37:24] Parenting from the heart Connect with Michele Guide to Good Grief Instagram Website Whether you are a parent or professional, we want you to join our community. Sign up for our newsletter here. Parents, download our free parent starter kit. When you download our starter kit, you'll learn how to: Give medicine to your child without it becoming a wrestling match Prepare your child (and yourself) for a shot so they can feel less anxious Create and use a coping plan for any medical appointment or procedure The first sign of sniffles, or worse, shouldn't send you into a tailspin. Feel confident in your role as a parent and advocate, no matter what medical situation you're facing. Child life specialists, get affordable PDUs on-demand here. Shop for your CLOC gear here.
Imagine the two most difficult things that you could possibly go through happening simultaneously. Parenting a child, and the grief of losing a child. Now imagine parenting a surviving child after they lose their sibling. Surviving children need unique care to work through their grief, in the midst of the parent sitting in their own grief. And while there are many grief support groups out there, parents need help in working through the day-to-day trials and tribulations that happen as the surviving child hits milestones that their sibling never had a chance to experience. This week's episode is for parents who have lost a child and caregivers of the surviving children. Because, like any aspect of child development, the more who can support the child the better. Listen in to a sad but heartwarming story about why play matters to grieving children, why language and vocabulary is so important to grieving children, how to manage your own grief while parenting, and why grieving adults need to take care of themselves first. About Michele Benyo: Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement focused Michele's career as an early childhood parenting specialist on the impact of grief on young children, particularly after child loss. Michele equips parents and other caring adults to recognize young children's grief and to provide the support children need to build resilience and cope well with any loss. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families thrive after loss and live forward toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. Jump in the Conversation: [1:27] - Michele's catalyst for Good Grief Parenting [3:01] - Michele's case study about how deeply children are impacted by trauma and loss [4:18] - Would not have recognized the impact if not for the experience [5:50] - Founded Good Grief Parenting to help parents find hope and encouragement and goodness in grief [6:15] - How Good Grief Parenting is unique, especially for formative years [8:23] - As parents, we can grapple with loss of child, but the sibling left needs support [9:11] - What adults need to know about how children grieve [10:19] - Kids need a chance to tell us how they're feeling, what they're thinking [10:46] - Encourage kids to talk about their grief and loss [11:20] - Parents need to learn how to say that a child died [12:47] - How parents can manage their own grief and support other children [14:20] - Be the parent that's grieving child at the same time as taking care of living child [15:32] - We can find goodness and bring it into the family [16:35] - Childhood is best time to learn grief coping skills [18:10] - 3 ways to support grieving children [19:55] - Turbo Time [24:55] - Michele's Magic Wand [27:29] - Maureen's Takeaways Links & Resources Good Grief Parenting Get the Good Grief Guide LinkTree Link Follow Good Grief Parenting on Instagram and Facebook Atomic Habits by James Clear Email Maureen Maureen's TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools The Education Evolution Facebook: Follow Education Evolution Twitter: Follow Education Evolution LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution EdActive Collective Maureen's book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids Micro-school feature on Good Morning America The Micro-School Coalition Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition LEADPrep
Michele Benyo is an early childhood parenting coach and mentor who is also a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist. When Michele's daughter was only three-and-a-half years old, her beloved 6-year-old big brother, who was her best friend and only sibling—died of cancer. She said to Michele, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” The loss was devastating, it left an unfillable void in her young being, and there was little available to help Michele, who was teaching early childhood parenting classes at the time, to navigate her family's unthinkable new reality. Today Michele's precious daughter is all grown up and Michele is busy helping families to heal and live forward with grief after the death of their child. Her Good Grief Parenting Approach helps parents get in touch with their parenting wisdom so they can be confident that they are helping their bereaved young child to grieve well as they become hopeful about a future for their family that is bright with possibilities and even joy. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/griefandrebirth/support
Michele Benyo is an early childhood parenting coach and mentor who is also a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist. When Michele's daughter was only three-and-a-half years old, her beloved 6-year-old big brother, who was her best friend and only sibling—died of cancer. She said to Michele, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” The loss was devastating, it left an unfillable void in her young being, and there was little available to help Michele, who was teaching early childhood parenting classes at the time, to navigate her family's unthinkable new reality. Today Michele's precious daughter is all grown up and Michele is busy helping families to heal and live forward with grief after the death of their child. Her Good Grief Parenting Approach helps parents get in touch with their parenting wisdom so they can be confident that they are helping their bereaved young child to grieve well as they become hopeful about a future for their family that is bright with possibilities and even joy. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/griefandrebirth/support
Grief parenting can be a huge challenge to any parent. Guiding a grieving child through life is one of the toughest situations any parent may face. There's no instruction manual for it. Most parents who go through grief with their children are caught unprepared. That's why Michele Benyo, the founder of Good Grief Parenting, has made it her personal mission to help moms and dads to support their grieving children. Michele had two kids, but her 6-year-old son died of cancer. This devastated her 3-year-old daughter who told her mother, “Half of me is gone.” As a parent who experienced the loss of a child herself, she shows how to help kids deal with grief in a positive way. In the process, grieving children can grow up mentally and emotionally resilient. Join us in today's episode as Michele talks us through helping your child navigate the death of a sibling.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here's How »Join the On Your Mind Community today:journeysdream.orgTwitterInstagramFacebookYouTube
I have a guest with an incredible story. Her name is Michele Benyo and she is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement focused Michele's career as an early childhood parenting specialist on the impact of grief on young children, particularly after child loss. Michele equips parents and other caring adults to provide the support young grieving children need to cope well with any loss. So today, Michele is giving you the tools to be able to handle sudden loss and grief among your students in the classroom. Book a Sales Call: https://forms.gle/dwe4RHi3VTSEVq1QA Connect with Michele: https://linktr.ee/goodgriefparentinghttps://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparentinghttps://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparentingFollow: http://www.instagram.com/shapinglittlemindspodcast
Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement focused Michele's career as an early childhood parenting expert on the impact of grief on young children, particularly after child loss. Michele equips parents and other caring adults to recognize young children's grief and to provide the support children need to build resilience and cope well with any loss. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families thrive after loss and live forward toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. LINKS: www.goodgriefparenting.com https://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/ https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparenting/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentsraisingyoungsiblings
This week on the You, The Mother Podcast, Abbey welcomes Michele Benyo! Michele is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, early childhood parent educator and coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose—to be a voice for the youngest of grievers and a guide for the grownups who love and care for them. Michele walks us through the grief and healing process in order equip parents with insights, tools, skills, and confidence to help their family heal after child loss, build resilience, and have hope. How can we support all grievers in more healthy and helpful ways? Let's talk about it! ——————————————— You can find Michele Benyo: Facebook and Instagram @goodgriefparenting www.goodgriefparenting.com ——————————————— Instagram @youthemother www.youthemother.com Now Offering 1-on-1 coaching!
Michele Benyo explains why when young children experience loss, well-meaning adults often make the mistake of trying to protect children from the painful truth of grief. Adults may say things like, “It'll be okay,” when the child can clearly see it is not okay. When adults don't talk about the loss or share their own feelings, they are leaving the child alone to experience a confusing situation and emotions they don't understand. In the midst of loss, children need simple, honest information accompanied by essential messages that do more than say “It'll be okay,” by building the child's resilience and reinforcing their sense of well-being.
Birthing is a topic we all want to weigh in on, but death? Not so much. We tend to avoid the subject, and when it comes to talking to our child about death, choosing the right words is hard. Of course, there's no “right” way to talk about death except to lead with honesty and love. Jessica Rolph, your host, welcomes Michele Benyo to the show. She is the founder of Good Grief Parenting. Michele came to this work in the wake of losing her child 20 years ago and helping his sibling through the grief. Today, Jessica and Michele discuss how parents can support their children through the death of a pet or loved one. Highlights: [1:26] What do parents need to know about how children grieve? [3:13] How can parents help a grieving child? [4:30] Michele gives examples of some mistakes parents make when discussing death with children. [6:53] How can parents begin to use direct language to talk about death with their children? [9:19] How does grief manifest through play? [11:41] A question from the Lovevery community: “How do you answer: Are Grandma and Grandpa going to die? Followed by, Are you and Daddy going to die?” [13:52] When do children start to understand death? [15:27] How can we prepare our children for the death of someone who is close to death? [17:10] Another question from a listener: “How do I incorporate family members who died into my son's life at 7 months old? How do I explain to him that they're no longer here, but they love him very much?” [20:11] Ways to approach the death of a pet. [22:47] How should we prepare children for a funeral? [25:08] Jessica shares her takeaways from the conversation with Michele Benyo. Mentioned in this episode: Brought to you by Lovevery.com Good Grief Parenting Receive weekly emails about your child's development, and stay in the know about new play essentials, promos, and more by signing up at Lovevery.com Follow Lovevery and Jessica Rolph on Instagram.
In this episode, Michele Benyo shares a heart tugging story and explains how we can help children understand grief.
Michele Benyo is a mom of two, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, an early childhood educator and parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Her mission is twofold: to help parents through the unimaginable challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a child, and to help parents meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. LINKS: www.goodgriefparenting.com https://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/ https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparenting/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentsraisingyoungsiblings ******* Thanks for being here! Please consider subscribing and rating The Death Dialogues Project Podcast to help us get these episodes in front of folks who need them. The book Death and its Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Beautiful Lessons: field notes from The Death Dialogues Project is on sale everywhere you buy your books. Here's one link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9c25rt As the Kiwis say, this project runs on the smell of an oily rag (read: no income or funding)-- the purchase of the very affordable book will go towards costs for running this project. "Just finished this wonderful resource by Becky Aud-Jennison called, Death and Its Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Beautiful Lessons. If you have any desire to learn the effects the death of a loved one has on us, read this book. It is one of those lovely books that combines story, science and the experience of the author to illuminate a profound topic in an understandable way." - Jennifer A. O'Brien, author of Hospice Doctor's Widow Edit audio --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/deathdialogues/message
Michele Benyo, founder of Good Grief Parenting shares with Michelle the 4 keys for parents with young children navigating perinatal loss. These 4 keys are self-care, accurate words describing death, inviting conversation, and honoring child-sized grief. She also explains why we need to avoid telling children euphemisms such as “He went to sleep.” or vague words such as ‘gone' or ‘passed' when explaining that someone has died. Dead and died have a very specific meaning and those are the only words that accurately tell children what happened. Young children won't understand death, but they still have the accurate word and they are going to grow into that understanding. She also explains why it is important to tell children in an age-appropriate way about the death in an honest and accurate way without too many details. Parents can follow the child's lead if they ask to know more. Michele also shares that children can internalize 4 messages when they lose a sibling: I don't understand, I hurt inside, I don't belong, and I am not enough. She provides tips to help parents grief with their child in healthy ways. "I just think that when we are a bereaved parent and we have other young children to raise, we are being asked to do two of the hardest things we'll ever have to do in our lives at the same time. And that is to grief a loved one which is such hard work and parent a young child in those formative early childhood years."—Michele Benyo About Michele: Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, parent mentor, and founder of Good Grief Parenting, whose purpose is to support parents who are raising young bereaved siblings after child loss. Her mission is to be a voice for the youngest of grievers and to help parents nurture and understand the unique needs of children who have lost a sibling in early childhood.When Michele's six-year-old son died of cancer, her daughter said, "Mommy, half of me is gone." She was just 3 1/2 years old. Even though Michele was teaching early childhood parenting classes and had a Masters in early childhood education, she didn't know how best to help her daughter. This inspired her to become the support she had needed most during that time so that parents like her wouldn't have to go it alone. She's spent more than 20 years learning all she can about early childhood sibling loss, its lifelong impact on the surviving sibling, and how parents can help their bereaved child grow up whole and happy.Michele equips parents with tools to help their family heal after child loss, to foster hope, and to build resilience. Parents who work with Michele tap into their own wisdom and gain the insights, skills, and confidence to live forward toward a future bright with possibilities and joy. Connect with Michele Benyo: Website: https://goodgriefparenting.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparentingLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelebenyo/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/ Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website: BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook: Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram: @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn: Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief.
In this episode, Cara and Rashida have a genuinely amazing chat with Michele Benyo of Good Grief Parenting. Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, early childhood educator and parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Her mission is twofold: to help parents through the unimaginable challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a child, and to equip parents to meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy.You can learn more about Michele by visiting her site at www.goodgriefparenting.com or by following her on Instagram and Facebook. You can also join her FB group Parents Raising Young SiblingsFREE RESOURCES:The Good Grief Guide: www.goodgriefparenting.com/gggCaregiver Letter: www.goodgriefparenting.com/caregiver-letterTALK WITH MICHELE:https://calendly.com/ggparenting/talk-with-michele
Have you had the death talk with your child yet? Maybe it hasn't come up. Maybe you think they're too young. Or maybe you were forced to discuss it after a family pet or loved one died. Experts agree that it's never too early to bring up the subject of death with your child. And it's better to bring it up before they have to experience it first-hand. But what's the best way to broach the subject? And what types of words should we use so our child understands and isn't afraid? In this episode, I talk to Certified Grief Recovery Specialist Michele Benyo about how we can initiate these conversations with our children, along with what to do when they experience death in their lives. Michele is the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement focused Michele's career as an early childhood parenting specialist on the impact of grief on young children, particularly after child loss. Michele equips parents and other caring adults to recognize young children's grief and to provide the support children need to build resilience and cope well with any loss. Click here for the full show notes! • www.nurturednoggins.com Follow Nurtured Noggins on Instagram Interested in 1-on-1 coaching with Ann? Click here to schedule a free introductory call --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ann-mckitrick/support
Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, parent mentor, and founder of Good Grief Parenting, whose purpose is to support parents who are raising young bereaved siblings after child loss. She shares the significance of sibling loss in early childhood and how parents can choose to live forward. GoodGriefParenting.com Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
Coach Cast - Sensitive Content - Michele BenyoCoach Cast spoke to Michele Benyo who runs the website Good Grief Parenting and spoke about a subject that has affected everyone across a life time - grief.Join Justin and Darren as they approach this sensitive area of coaching with Michele.This episode contains sensitive content - if you affected in anyway by this episode please STOP listening and use the links provided below. --To work with MicheleWebsite: http://www.goodgriefparenting.comInstagram: @goodgriefparentingIf you've been affected by this episode - please use the links below:http://www.samaritans.orghttp://www.sane.org.ukhttp://www.nct.org.ukhttp://www.childbereavementuk.org**Contacting Darren Odell:To get in touch with Darren about coaching, the show or being a guest, his details are here:www.odlcoaching.co.ukinfo@odlcoaching.co.ukContacting Justin PetersenYou can also reach the show directly by reaching out to Justin via these platforms:www.coachcast.co.ukDrop us an e-mail: hello@coachcast.co.ukhttp://www.facebook.com/realcoachcast@realcoachast on Facebook@realcoachcast on Instagram@realcoachcast on TwitterPlease make sure you subscribe and leave us a 5 Star review in Apple Podcasts and follow us on Spotify!--Thank you for listening to Coach Cast......see you next month!
An insightful and powerful conversation with Michele Benyo, certified grief recovery specialist, early childhood parent coach, and found of Good Grief Parenting. Please join us as we discuss: Michele's personal journey of grief through her son's cancer journey and death the motivation, inspired by her grieving daughter, to found Good Grief Parenting her role as … Continue reading Michele Benyo – Good Grief Parenting: 4 Keys to Help Young Children Heal from Grief →
There's no doubt that this is a difficult topic but because it is so hard to talk about many parents have no idea how to help their children cope with grief, especially if they are also dealing with their own grief. A lot of the ways grief was handled in our own childhoods amplified trauma instead of healing it. Not talking about our lost loved one or "moving on" can do more harm than good. Whether your child is mourning the loss of a sibling or a goldfish, there are powerful takeaways in today's episode to help them process grief. Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, a parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement focused Michele's career as an early childhood parenting specialist on the impact of grief on young children, particularly after child loss. Michele equips parents and other caring adults to recognize young children's grief and to provide the support children need to cope well with any loss. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. Connect with Michele Benyo: http://www.goodgriefparenting.com (www.goodgriefparenting.com) Get all the free resources and tools from our guests: https://www.blissfulparenting.com/toolbox (https://www.blissfulparenting.com/toolbox) Connect with Blissful Parenting: Free Workshop ► https://www.blissfulparentingworkshop.com (https://www.BlissfulParentingWorkshop.com) Website ► http://www.theblissfulparent.com/ (http://www.TheBlissfulParent.com/) Blog ► http://www.theblissfulparent.com/blog (http://www.TheBlissfulParent.com/blog) Podcast ► http://www.theblissfulparent.com/podcast/ (http://www.TheBlissfulParent.com/podcast/) Contact ►http://www.blissfulparenting.com/contact (http://www.BlissfulParenting.com/contact) Follow Us On Social Media: Youtube ► https://www.youtube.com/theblissfulparent (https://www.youtube.com/theblissfulparent) Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/theblissfulparent (https://www.facebook.com/theblissfulparent) Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/theblissfulparent/ (https://www.instagram.com/theblissfulparent/) Twitter ►https://twitter.com/blissfulparent (https://twitter.com/blissfulparent) Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in the comment section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. You can also subscribe to the podcast app on your mobile device. Leave us an iTunes review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on iTunes, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on iTunes.
To get the full show notes for this episode you can click here.If you like this podcast, and found it helpful, I want to invite you come check out Grieving Moms Haven, my monthly community for Grieving moms, where you can learn positive coping mechanisms, find a safe space with others who understand, and learn life long skills that support you as you learn how to carry this weight of grief in your life.There are group coaching calls where we do guided meditations, tapping meditations, breathwork, and just talk, knowing that everyone in the group is also walking the path of child loss.You can come check out Grieving Moms Haven at www.grievingmomshaven.com
Summary:Losing a sibling is devasting at any age, but when our children are small it adds complexity that challenges the entire family. Listen in today as our guest, Michele Benyo relates her experience as one child battles cancer and another child tries to understand what is happening and what is to happen.Episode Notes:As a family educator, Certified Grief Recovery Specialist™️, and early childhood parent coach, Michele's goal is to equip parents with the tools to discover their own heart-led wisdom. Her mission is to give grieving families hope and help parents claim the wisdom and gifts within themselves to choose new dreams for their children and for themselves. Contact: www.asiliveandgrieve.cominfo@asiliveandgrieve.com Facebook: As I Live and Grieve Instagram: @asiliveandgrieve To Reach Michele: Website: www.goodgriefparenting.comCredits: Music by Kevin MacLeod
Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, a parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement focused Michele's career as an early childhood parenting specialist on the impact of grief on young children, particularly after child loss. Michele equips parents and other caring adults to recognize young children's grief and to provide the support children need to cope well with any loss. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy.http://www.goodgriefparenting.comhttps://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparenting/https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentsraisingyoungsiblings
Even out of unspeakable grief, beautiful things can take wing which has been the case for this week's guest, Michele Benyo. Michele loved the motherhood journey so much that she decided to go back to school after the birth of her two children and receive her masters in family education in order to become an Early Childhood Parent Educator. It was shortly thereafter that grief began when her son was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 4. The experience ultimately led to her current role as a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist™️. Michele's younger daughter also played a pivotal role in her career path as she experienced her own grief alongside her 3.5 year-old when her son died.Today, Michele helps families heal and “live forward” with grief after the death of their child. With the Good Grief Parenting Approach, parents get in touch with their parenting wisdom so they can be confident that they are helping their bereaved young child grieve well and can be hopeful about a future for their family bright with possibilities and even joy. Episode Highlights:Michele's experience and journey with grief and how it's shaped her life and career pathAnswering the question “are kids resilient?” (and why sometimes having resilience is besides the point)Why childhood is the best time to teach about griefMistakes that adults often make when it comes to children grievingWhy Michele and her husband decided to include their young daughter in many of the experiences that came along with their sons cancer journeyThe Good Grief Parenting FrameworkWhat it means to “live forward”Continuing bondsFinding permission to grieve in a society that tells us to move onMentioned in the episode:Grieving mom is comforted by her 5-year-old articleConnect with Michele:https://goodgriefparenting.com/servicesOrder the GG x SSFYL Collab: Not Your Average Grief BoxBe sure to follow @griefbotique on Instagram and sign up for the newsletter on SSFYLpodcast.com or griefboutique.com and be the first to receive updates!Enjoying #SSFYL? Be sure to subscribe and share with a friend!Website | www.ssfylpodcast.comInstagram | https://www.instagram.com/sosorrywithgiannaFacebook Group | https://www.facebook.com/groups/ssfylpodcastYouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyoo17xXVkpLD0WiTbqsh8w
Tess Connolly LCSW talks with Michele Benyo, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, a parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. Tess and Michele talk about different ways that our tween and teens experience loss and how we can cope with these moments in our parenthood journey. They discuss different kinds of grief not just when we lose someone close to us but when we are faced with other experiences such as when we move as a family and children may experience the loss of friendships and the home that they are leaving behind. Tess gives an introduction to today's episode. Talking about the importance of knowing how to deal with loss and grief as a family. Michele shares with us the background story about her journey and talks about what led her to creating the business she now runs helping families deal with grief and loss. Tess and Michele talk about different losses that tweens and teens can go through and how we can cope with these. Michele points out that grief comes in all shapes and sizes not just when we lose someone we know close to us dies but also losses such as when we move or when things change in our life. Michele talks about her own experiences and the importance of being the parent that has the conversations with our children and teaches them how to deal with grief. Michelle and Tess discuss ways we can talk to our children about their losses and give us some strategies of how we have these conversations. Michele talks about ways that we may have been taught how to deal with grief and compares them to ways that might be more helpful in assisting our children to deal with their loss. She talks about studies that have been done more recently and how keeping conversations going about people they have lost can really benefit the grieving process. Michelle talks about in the case of a parent losing a child who has siblings that we have to remember the importance of whilst we are dealing with our grief to also remember to let our children that are still with us know how much they are valued. Tess and Michelle talk about the grief that we might experience as parents and how we convey and recognize these moments. Losing someone does end a life but it doesn't end a relationship. They talk about ways that we can still keep these people in our lives through conversations and still recognise their life within our lives. Michelle shares with us the analogy of making lemonade and how she uses this analogy to help explain the feelings we go through when dealing with grief and loss. Michelle talks about how although facing grief is an incredible loss we are at a time where we have lots of places where we can go to for help, so make sure that as parents we take the opportunity to use these resources that are available to us and learn strategies for when we are faced with these moments in our parenting journey. Michele is grateful for her faith that helped her through her loss. Follow this link to the PDF that Michele spoke about in the episode and to find out about different ways the Michelle can help you - Good Grief Parenting | Home Sign up for the Tech Reset Masterclass here: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/tech-reset-masterclass
Grief is one of those life situations that make us feel uncomfortable and somewhat useless. When the loss is from a child, no matter the age, it can be hard to know just how to comfort the various family members. Our guest Michele Benyo knows this all too well. Michele lost her young son to cancer leaving behind her 3-year-old daughter. Being an early childhood education specialist, her daughter's grief was something she had no idea how to navigate and she found zero resources to aid her. This was years before social media and before the internet went mainstream. Michele has since mastered how to comfort grieving children, and how adults can help to support grieving children and their families. Nearly everyone has had or will have contact with someone who needs grief support. This is a must-listen for everyone. Michele reminds us to keep the memories of the departed alive and to call and check on grieving friends or family members more often than we think is adequate. If they don't want to talk, they simply don't have to pick up the phone. This prevents the grief from being the elephant in the room. More often than not extending your ear will make the griever feel grateful for the opportunity to share memories of their loved one. Remember a lot of good can be done through Air Hugs a.k.a. touching someone's heart with love and concern. For more information visit Michele Benyo at Good Grief Parenting on Instagram @GoodGriefParenting Thank you for tuning and remember to check back every Tuesday for a new episode. Connect with me on Instagram contact me judy@judyarazoza.com
"You didn't have a choice in the loss of your child, but you do get to choose what you do from there. You have a choice in what you do with the rest of your life." I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to The Parenting Well Podcast. Today's Well Source is Michele Benyo. Michele is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, a parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement focused Michele's career as an early childhood parenting specialist on the impact of grief on young children, particularly after child loss. Michele equips parents and other caring adults to recognize young children's grief and to provide the support children need to cope well with any loss. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. In this podcast, we discuss: - Tips for recognizing when your child is grieving. - Being equipped to support your child through grief and loss. - Handling difficult feelings. - How to manage your own grief so you can be there for your child. - Creating space and simple ways to have important conversations. - Trusting your instincts. - Living FORWARD after the loss of a child. RESOURCES: - Michele's website: Good Grief Parenting - Resource: The Good Grief Guide - Michele's LinkedIn Profile - Michele's Instagram Account
The heartbreak of a parent losing a child is a pain like no other. But what about the sibling(s) left behind of the child who dies? When her son, David, was four-years-old, he was diagnosed with cancer. At the time, his younger sister was fifteen months old. Michele shares her perspective of guiding her daughter through sibling loss while also navigating her own. Michele says, "Grief is part of loss of life that we will live with and still live well with." She adds her thoughts about appearing strong for others, which often leaves grievers feeling isolated because, although they may seem strong, that doesn't mean support isn't needed. Michele's work focuses on offering support for parents of child loss who also have other children navigating sibling loss. She offers three suggestions as well as many other helpful and supportive suggestions for parents who desire to be positive grief role models for their other child(ren) experiencing loss."Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is remaking of life." - Anne Roiphe RESOURCES:Good Grief ParentingFacebook GroupCONNECT:WebsiteInstagram______NEED HELP?National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis CounselorIf you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
Children and adults grieve differently, today's episode features Michelle Benyo Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, who reveals what parents need to know to help their child when a sibling passes. She breaks down the 4 pillars to help young children heal, and the role of Good Grief in healing and living forward. Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, a parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement focused Michele's career as an early childhood parenting specialist on the impact of grief on young children, particularly after child loss. Michele equips parents and other caring adults to recognize young children's grief and to provide the support children need to cope well with any loss. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. LINKS: www.goodgriefparenting.com https://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/ https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparenting/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentsraisingyoungsiblings Quote from the Podcast: “There are two parts to grief. The first part is loss. And the second part is the remaking of life”
Michele Benyo is a mom of two, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, an early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Her mission is twofold: to help parents through the unimaginable challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a child, and to help parents meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy.Check out Michelle's links:www.goodgriefparenting.comhttps://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparentinghttps://www.facebook.com/groups/parentsraisingyoungsiblingsAlso, check out Stan's Parenting Book - FearLESSly Parenting: [https://tinyurl.com/258uf3ma]Link to FearLESS Parenting Podcast Website: https://lnkd.in/ehHng2H where you can find other great podcast episodes.
Carrie and Michelle talk about the challenges of parenting while grieving but that you can get through it and there is help available. Good Grief Parenting offers a course to help parents learn how to see the whole horizon and live forward with their surviving child.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/lovelikejackson)
Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, parent mentor, and founder of Good Grief Parenting, whose purpose is to support parents who are raising young bereaved siblings after child loss. Her mission is to be a voice for the youngest of grievers and to help parents nurture and understand the unique needs of children who have lost a sibling in early childhood. When Michele's six-year-old son died of cancer, her daughter said, "Mommy, half of me is gone." She was just 3 1/2 years old. Even though Michele was teaching early childhood parenting classes and had a Master's in early childhood education, she didn't know how best to help her daughter. This inspired her to become the support she had needed most during that time so that parents like her wouldn't have to go it alone. Michele has spent more than 20 years learning all she can about early childhood sibling loss, its lifelong impact on the surviving sibling, and how parents can help their bereaved child grow up whole and happy. Michele equips parents with tools to help their family heal after child loss, foster hope, and build resilience. Key Takeaways: Michele shares her personal grief story. Michele talks about how she grieved a loved one and parented a child, all at the same time. Self-care is a priority, don't deny your own heartache and grief. Allow your children to see your grief. Our instinct as parents is to protect our children from pain, only to then realize that we cannot do it, but we can teach them how to walk through it. Foster conversations with your children about their feelings and to walk towards hope. Two conflicting emotions can live in the same space: Despair and hope, anger and love. We don't teach people about grief, that's the reason why many people do not know what to do with a grieving person, they simply don't have the tools. As a griever, you get to advocate for the fact that your reality as a family is different. Michele shares what Good Grief Parenting is about. Grief is a series of continuing bonds towards healing. People can also show up for grieving loved ones in beautiful ways. What are your own beliefs about grief? Lean towards the healthier ways to deal with grief. You can't have the perfect answer, just show up and care, ask: “Do you need something? Is there anything I could do for you right now?”, give them a hug, and talk about the big elephant in the room: someone they love is no longer here. Michele shares tips to approach a child who is grieving: Use the words “died” and “death” when talking about the lost one. Ask them if they want to talk about them and share your feelings with them. Resources Tendrilsofgrief.com Email Susan: susan@tendrilsofgrief.com Meet Michele Benyo Get your free copy of the Good Grief Guide at Good Grief Parenting Follow Michele Benyo on Linkedin
Michele Benyo is a mom of two, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, an early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Her mission is twofold: to help parents through the unimaginable challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a child, and to help parents meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy.Check out Michelle's links:www.goodgriefparenting.comhttps://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparentinghttps://www.facebook.com/groups/parentsraisingyoungsiblingsAlso, check out Stan's Parenting Book - FearLESSly Parenting: [https://tinyurl.com/258uf3ma] Link to FearLESS Parenting Podcast Website: https://lnkd.in/ehHng2H where you can find other great podcast episodes.
How can you be the parent your child needs? Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, an early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son passed away from cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Her […] The post 4 Keys for Parents to Help Young Children Recognize and Embrace Grief appeared first on Lee Ann Mancini, Author, Producer, Podcaster.
Welcome Back, Parents! Today's special guest is Michele Benyo! She's with us today to talk about how to help young children with grief, including how young children grieve, the truth about what children need from adults when they're grieving, the fact that childhood is the best time to learn about grief, and specific tips for adults to help young children grieve. Michele is a mom of two, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, an early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Her mission is twofold: to help parents through the unimaginable challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a child, and to help parents meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. The challenge of parenting while grieving after losing a child can feel impossible. You're heartbroken. Devastated. Lost. Yet your living child, the bereaved sibling still in the early years of childhood, needs you. See Your Way Forward After Child Loss takes you from this place of excruciating pain, hopelessness, doubt, and uncertainty to one of healing, hope, optimism, and confident parenting. The insights, information, and good grief parenting tips and tools in this program equip you to live forward toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. Early childhood parent coach and certified grief specialist Michele is taking enrollments now for this 7-week program. Click the link for more information http://www.goodgriefparenting.com/wayforward or schedule a free consultation with Michele using this calendar link: https://calendly.com/ggparenting/wayforward To learn more about how your family can be supported by Michele, connect with her on her website or your favorite social media app: Instagram: @goodgriefparenting FB: Good Grief Parenting website: www.goodgriefparenting.com The Good Grief Guide (Freebie) can be found front and center on the website home page Hugs & High Fives Parents, Jaci
In the midst of family grief, young children grieve, too, though they re often overlooked. Adultstend to want to protect children from the pain of grief, but that s not what children need. Micheleshares 4 key ways that adults can give grieving children the support they need to understandand cope with grief. You can also watch us live on Facebook. Michele is taking enrolllments for her program See Your Way Forward After Child Loss beginning Feb. 16th at www.goodgriefparenting.com/wayforwardThe challenge of parenting while grieving after losing a child can feel impossible. You're heartbroken. Devastated. Lost. Yet your living child, the bereaved sibling still in the early years of childhood, needs you. See Your Way Forward After Child Loss takes you from this place of excruciating pain, hopelessness, doubt, and uncertainty to one of healing, hope, optimism, and confident parenting. The insights, information, and good grief parenting tips and tools in this program equip you to live forward toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. Early childhood parent coach and certified grief specialist Michele Benyo is taking enrollments now for this 7-week program. Anyone who s interested in knowing more about the program can schedule a call with Michele here: https://calendly.com/ggparenting/wayforward
Michele Benyo is a mom of two, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, an early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Her mission is twofold: to help parents through the unimaginable challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a child, and to help parents meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy.Check out Michelle's links:www.goodgriefparenting.comhttps://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparentinghttps://www.facebook.com/groups/parentsraisingyoungsiblingsAlso, check out Stan's Parenting Book - FearLESSly Parenting: [https://tinyurl.com/258uf3ma] Link to FearLESS Parenting Podcast Website: https://lnkd.in/ehHng2H where you can find other great podcast episodes.
How can you be the parent your child needs? Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, an early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son passed away from cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Her […] The post 4 Keys for Parents to Help Young Children Recognize and Embrace Grief appeared first on Lee Ann Mancini, Author, Producer, Podcaster.
When children go through tragedy, they express themselves differently than adults. It's tough for parents to know how to help them process their feelings. Parenting coach and founder of Good Grief Parenting, Michele Benyo, joins The Compass to guide navigating through this challenging time.
When children go through tragedy, they express themselves differently than adults. It's tough for parents to know how to help them process their feelings. Parenting coach and founder of Good Grief Parenting, Michele Benyo, joins The Compass to guide navigating through this challenging time.
This cross-listed episode with my other podcast Things You Learn in Therapy is so powerful I just needed to share it to both podcasts!The grief of losing a loved one can be overwhelming. And to lose a child...unfathomably difficult. Though most of us haven't experienced such a tragic loss, we can learn from the many things that today's guest, Michelle Benyo, shares with us. Grab a box of tissues and your journal. We've all experienced grief in the last two years. It's with a grateful heart and open mind that I share with you this awe-inspiring episode of #thingsyoulearnintherapy.Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, a parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement focused Michele's career as an early childhood parenting specialist on the impact of grief on young children, particularly after child loss. Michele equips parents and other caring adults to recognize young children's grief and to provide the support children need to cope well with any loss. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy.www.goodgriefparenting.comhttps://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparenting/https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentsraisingyoungsiblingsThis podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcastFeel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at Beth@makewordsmatterforgood.com
The grief of losing a loved one can be overwhelming. And to lose a child...unfathomably difficult. Though most of us haven't experienced such a tragic loss, we can learn from the many things that today's guest, Michelle Benyo, shares with us. Grab a box of tissues and your journal. We've all experienced grief in the last two years. It's with a grateful heart and open mind that I share with you this awe-inspiring episode of #thingsyoulearnintherapy.Just an FYI... I have cross-listed this episode with my other podcast Kids These Days need us to make words matter for good because it was such a great episode that I think is relevant for both audiences. Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, a parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement focused Michele's career as an early childhood parenting specialist on the impact of grief on young children, particularly after child loss. Michele equips parents and other caring adults to recognize young children's grief and to provide the support children need to cope well with any loss. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy.www.goodgriefparenting.comhttps://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparenting/https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentsraisingyoungsiblingsThis podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcastFeel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at Beth@makewordsmatterforgood.comIf you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: https://forms.gle/ooy8QirpgL2JSLhP6 Support the showwww.bethtrammell.com
In this episode our hosts, Steve and Katie Keene, speak with Michele Benyo, a mom of two, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter's heartbreaking statement – "Mommy, half of me is gone" – defined Michele's life purpose. Her mission is twofold: to help parents through the challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a child, and to help parents meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood. years. Her heart's desire is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy.Enjoy the show!1) To connect with Michele:IG: @michelebenyo_goodgriefGood Grief ParentingParents Raising Young Siblings After Child LossGood Grief Parentingmichele@michelebenyo.com 2) For a transformational health secret to strengthen your family's health foundation:Live longer, Feel Better 3) Be sure to find Katie and Steve on social media!@FamilySuccess | Linktree 4) Steve Keene - High-Performance CoachingLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenkeene7/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steve.keene.75875) Katie Keene - Special Needs Family CoachingKatie Keene - Special Needs Family Coaching 6) To book a Parent Support Session, a free 30-minute call: Generationally Minded, LLC., Family Success Secrets and The Greater Honor
In this episode, DJ talks with Michele Benyo to discuss how to help your child(ren) cope with the grief of losing their sibling when you are coping with the grief of losing your child.Some try to heal from a loss by refusing grief and ignoring it. These people don't heal and have a harder time... Grief is a necessary part of healing. Tune in to this episode to hear one mother's journey through the grief of losing her son to cancer and how she helped her young daughter learn to cope in a world without her big brother.Listen to this episode to hear how one mother's quest for resources to help herself through the loss of her son and her daughter through the loss of her brother led to the creation of Good Grief Parenting - a resource that provides guidance, assurance, skills and the tools you need to support your grieving child and yourself as you heal from loss.When parents suffer the death of a child, the bereaved sibling is often a forgotten griever. Their loss and their grief have a lifelong impact on their sense of self and belonging. Don't miss this episode! DJ talks with Michele Benyo, founder of Good Grief Parenting, who will help you understand that by fostering understanding of your surviving child, you will empower them to grow into wholeness.Are you a parent that has experienced the loss of a child? What resources did you have available to you to deal with the grief and help your surviving child(ren) cope? Please share your experience with us and tag us on Facebook or Instagram @littleheartsacademyConnect with the host: DJ Stutz: https://www.littleheartsacademyusa.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littleheartsacademy/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littleheartsacademy/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOpphCRklDJiFXdS76U0LSQConnect with our guest:Michelle Benyowebsite: https://www.goodgriefparenting.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparentingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/
The Joyful Mourning - A Podcast for Women Who Have Experienced Pregnancy or Infant Loss
In this week's episode I have the honor of interviewing Michele Benyo. Michele is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, an early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Her mission is twofold: to help parents through the unimaginable challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a child, and to help parents meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. The immense practical wisdom Michele shares during our time together is invaluable and I just know you are going to love Michele. FREE RESOURCE BUNDLEOver the past 5 years we have helped thousands of women navigate life after the loss of a baby and we pulled our best and most helpful resources all into one easy to access resource. There is a separate bundle for miscarriage, infant loss and life-limiting diagnosis so the resources are very specific, tailored to you and your grief journey. To get your free resource bundle head to themorning.com/resourcebundle SHOW NOTESwww.themorning.com/blog/episode144 FREE ONLINE COMMUNITY www.themorning.com/community RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTSIf you love The Joyful Mourning Podcast, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps moms who are grieving to find us a little easier and get that support they need. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast. I'm adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you're not following, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Follow now!
360 Wisdom Speaks Podapalooza Special Edition Nicole Borghi Interviews Michele Benyo a mom of two, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, an early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Her mission is twofold: to help parents through the unimaginable challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a child, and to help parents meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. LINKS: www.goodgriefparenting.com https://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/ https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparenting/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentsraisingyoungsiblings Show Sponsor-Healy Frequencies for Life https://www.healy.shop/en/partner/?partnername=sabotagesmasher --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/360wisdomspeaks/support
Pumped Up Parenting | The Best Advice that NO ONE ELSE GIVES YOU about Raising Kids in Today's World
This episode talks of loss, the loss of a parent, a pet, and of a sibling. Not as far as adults go, but the way your child handles it. We always think children are so resilient, and thankfully they are, but when a child loses a sibling it can be traumatic and what's even harder is that the parent is dealing with one of the hardest losses possible and that is the loss of a child, so how do we deal with our other child and the impact this loss has on them. We include discussions on the loss of a parent, pet, close relative, home... so many losses impact children, however so often the impact to the child is overlooked. Meet my guest Michele Benyo, as she talks about the loss of her son and how it impacted his sister. Leading to her founding Good Grief Parenting. As a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, we discuss how parents can get through the unimaginable grief, while meeting the needs of their living children. If you have lost any loved one, you need to listen to this podcast and start creating support & solutions for the children that are impacted in your life. Learn more and download MIchele's GOOD GRIEF GUIDE at GoodGriefParenting.com Email Michele at michele@michelebenyo.com +++++++++ Thank You for listening! Here are some great ways we can connect! 1. Need more help? Let's grab some coffee or tea and talk. Go to TalkWithCelia.com and choose the time that works for you. 2. Looking for a manual for parenting your child? It's finally here and you can grab your copy of my latest book today! RAISING HAPPY TODDLERS: HOW TO BUILD GREAT PARENTING SKILLS & STOP YELLING AT YOUR KIDS New Children's Books available too… BEING DIFFERENT IS FUN I AM GRATEFUL ALL ABOUT ME 3. Become a Member of my TRANQUILITY TRIBE and STOP YELLING Once & For All. 4. Read my latest article to find out how to stop yelling...https://elejrnl.com?p=2665922 5. Looking to be part of a fun free and informative FB community (without all the bitching)?... join us in Pumped Up Parenting 6. Love YouTube? Do you know there are lots of parenting videos, story time videos for you and your kids, as well as some great family workout videos? All on Pumped Up Parenting with Celia Kibler 7. Follow me on Instagram! 8. Join me on my newest platform PEANUT: Connecting women across fertility & motherhood --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pumped-up-parenting/support
Michele Benyo became a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist after her six-year-old son died from cancer. After witnessing her young daughter's intense grief over the loss of her brother, she knew she had to help other parents whose children are grieving the loss of their sibling. Michelle provides incredible insight on the ways in which children grieve and she shares tips for parents who are trying to support their bereaved kid(s). Check out the Light After Trauma website for transcripts, other episodes, Alyssa's guest appearances, and more at: www.lightaftertrauma.com Support the Podcast Michele Benyo's website: https://goodgriefparenting.com Transcript Alyssa Scolari [00:00]: Hey, hey, hey, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the Light After Trauma podcast. I am your host, Alyssa Scolari, and I hope you all had a lovely holiday. I know we are really in the thick of the holiday season. And I also know it has been a while since we have had a guest on the show, and we are changing that up today. I appreciate Michele's grace. She is going to be our guest today, Michele Benyo. And I appreciate her grace because I have had to reschedule our interview quite a few times due to some health issues that I have been having lately. I'm just very grateful that she is here on the show today. We have a great episode lined up for you. Alyssa Scolari [01:08]: So I'm going to tell you a little bit about who Michele is. Michele Benyo is a mom of two. She's a certified grief recovery specialist, an early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her six-year-old son died of cancer, her three-year old daughter said, "Mommy, half of me is gone." This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Alyssa Scolari [01:38]: Her mission is twofold. To help parents through the unimaginable challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a child. And to help parents meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. Alyssa Scolari [02:07]: So this is going to be, I take a deep breath and I encourage you all to take a deep breath with me because this is going to be a difficult, but hopefully very inspiring and supportive conversation. And I am just very grateful to have Michele here us today. So without further ado, let us introduce our first guest that we have had in quite a while on the show. Hi, Michele. Michele Benyo [02:36]: Hi Alyssa. I'm so happy to be here. Alyssa Scolari [02:40]: I'm so happy to have you. Again, thank you for your grace. It really means a lot to me. I know lots of the listeners are aware that I've had some health issues going on. I know as I mentioned just a few moments ago, I've had to reschedule Michele quite a few times, so thank you. I'm so happy to have you here. Alyssa Scolari [03:02]: We're talking about a tough topic today. To be perfectly transparent, I am a trauma therapist, so death of course is part of what I work with. But every therapist has certain things that they might not necessarily work with because it might be too triggering for them. And for me, I cannot see people who have lost children, because I have a hard time managing my own emotions around that. Alyssa Scolari [03:41]: This conversation is a very new one for me as well, and I'm really looking forward to hearing your story and learning, because in the learning, I'm hoping that it's going to help me to be able to help more people. Thank you for being here. I guess the first question that I'll ask you is, can you just let us know a little bit about your story? Michele Benyo [04:06]: Yes. Of course. Just to say that your reaction to child loss is so natural of course. I mean it's called the worst loss for a reason. And when I experienced child loss, I didn't know what to do with it. My story was that I was an early childhood parent educator. I had the best job in the world. I got to go to work every day and be with families of young children. Michele Benyo [04:33]: And I was myself, a mom of two young children. My son was four and a half. My daughter was 15 months. And then he got cancer. He was diagnosed with cancer at that age. And I didn't know what to do with that. That's not normal natural child development. And we had to go through a two and a half year journey. And my families in my classes went through it with us. Michele Benyo [05:02]: My son was an amazing teacher as well. He was a very tenderhearted boy and I just thought, oh, this child can't go through this. But he really went through it very well, like a trooper. I mean, he fought it, and that was alarming to me sometimes because he was really aggressive at times. But the doctors and nurses said, no, we want them to have some fight. Those are the kids who make it. Michele Benyo [05:29]: But my daughter was 15 months when her brother was diagnosed. They were very close. And when he died, she was three and a half. And she said to me, "Mommy, half of me is gone." The journey was hard enough, but then realizing what this had done to her, my loss was devastating, but hers was more heartbreaking than mine because here I have a three and a half year old daughter who is facing the rest of her life with half of her gone. Michele Benyo [06:08]: And I knew that was a true statement because of what I know about early childhood development and just the formation of identity and just the impact that this kind of emotional trauma can have on a child's development in those formative years. So I was desperate not to let her grow up broken, with half of her gone. And I thought, well, I'm in the right field. I know where the resources are, but I wasn't able to find any. Michele Benyo [06:40]: And I should say this was 20 years ago. My son died in the year 2000, and my daughter's now 25. I raised her up, learned a lot of things. There were no resources then. And I did need to figure it out on my own. There are a few more resources now, but I still find that siblings and anyone, any one of your listeners who is a bereaved sibling, whatever age, knows how overlooked that demographic is when it comes to grief, and especially really young children. Michele Benyo [07:20]: Not many of them articulate what my daughter did. We don't want to upset kids. Like you say, when a child dies and when a child's exposed to loss, we want to stay away from it. We don't want to deal with it. So I had to figure it out. And now what I learned over my 20 years of just getting my hands on everything I could is what I want to bring to families through Good Grief Parenting, which is the work that I do with parents who are raising young children after losing a child. Alyssa Scolari [07:57]: Yes. Before we began recording, I was going through and preparing and reading about what you do. And I thought to myself, this is such an important niche of people who are almost unnoticed in their grief process. It is unheard of. And I think back, the training I've had, and we have never ever shown any kind of spotlight on children who have lost siblings. I mean specifically children, early childhood, and what that looks like. Alyssa Scolari [08:34]: There is rarely ever a safe space for parents who lose a child, but still have one or multiple children to raise. What do we do? So, A, thank you so much for sharing your story. I'm so thankful. Can you talk a little bit about how did you get to beginning this? Like where was that moment that you shifted from, okay, I need to not just ... Okay, I'm helping myself with this, but you know what? I need to do more. Where did that shift happen for you? Michele Benyo [09:21]: Honestly, Alyssa, that shift happened right away, because I was an early childhood parent educator. It was what I do. Even though I had other careers, I was a high school teacher, I was a communications coordinator. Other careers before I did this, I started doing early childhood parent ed when I had my son. Michele Benyo [09:45]: And it was really where my heart was making good things happen for children and the adults who loved them and raised them. And that was in my heart kind of because of my own upbringing, feeling a little bit misunderstood as a child. My parents weren't bad parents by any means, but I learned I wanted to parent differently. Michele Benyo [10:06]: So I always had my eye on that piece. And here came something in my own life that was so huge that I didn't know anything about, even with my training. So I knew then that as I was going, I would need to, especially when I found nothing else out there that I would need to do this. But as I said, that was 20 years ago. Michele Benyo [10:30]: And I founded Good Grief Parenting only within the last five years, because my own grief and my own journey and my own focus on my daughter was so primary for me, I just wasn't able to really ... I knew I wasn't able to step into other people's stories yet. And now I am. Now she's raised. And so it really was very early on that I recognized that whatever I was able to glean, I was going to need to share. So this has been in my mind and has been sharpened and adjusted and learned over the last 20 years. Alyssa Scolari [11:14]: Wow! Now, can you talk a little bit about what's very important for adults and for parents to know about the way that younger children grieve in cases and tragedies like this? Michele Benyo [11:35]: I think I would address that by saying that where I start in working with families is looking at what we believe about grief and how we handle grief as a society. And the way we handle it as a society with adults is that it's something to avoid, something that we don't want to talk about. We don't want to bother the griever. And with children, that is so easy to do because they don't usually look like they're grieving. So what we know about children. Michele Benyo [12:06]: A story that I have about my daughter that gives me, again, just conviction in this statement that even really young children grieve, which not that many years ago, we didn't really believe they did. My daughter, as I mentioned was 15 months old when her brother went to the hospital. For the very first time he had to stay overnight. His dad went with him. We had been through a couple weeks of figuring out what wrong with him and getting this devastating diagnosis. Michele Benyo [12:37]: And that night I was home with her. And she was, as I said, 15 months old. Was wailing. She started wailing and making just an inhuman sound. It was alarming to me. I was scared of how she sounded. She was wandering around the house upstairs and down to the garage door and up to David's bed and just wandering. And as I would try to go to her and comfort her, she'd push me away and throw herself on the floor. Michele Benyo [13:11]: She was distraught with every cell in her little body. And I wasn't a mess. I was pretty composed, but she had been in our home when this disruption was happening. And she had absorbed it and she knew her brother and her dad were gone. And this was, she was grieving. She was grieving the loss of her security. And so that coupled with what she was able to say to me two and a half years later, made me just really, really understand how deeply young children grieve. Michele Benyo [13:48]: And so, they don't show it. Even after she said, mommy, half of me is gone, if you looked at her, she didn't. You wouldn't see in her like you might see in me that she was grieving. And we tend not to talk to them because we don't want to upset them. But I knew enough by the time we went through this, that she had been very involved with the whole journey, because we weren't going to leave her with neighbors and friends while the three of us were together. Not after that first night where she reacted the way she did. Michele Benyo [14:25]: She was with us in the children's hospital, and so she was very exposed to it. And I just knew that we would talk about this. That we were open about it. And I had to educate other adults around her that Deanna will talk about her brother. We talk about her brother. You'll talk about her brother. So the other thing is recognizing that kids need and want to talk about what they've been through. Whatever kind of trauma it is, they really need to be able to give it voice. Alyssa Scolari [15:00]: Yeah. And I think that that's very important to say that children grieve so much differently, and it's just not in the way that adults would grieve because typically for any type of loss, even adults who experience loss, there are simply no words. There are no words that could ever exist that convey what grief feels like. So as adults, we struggle to find the language. Alyssa Scolari [15:28]: So you look at a young child who doesn't even have their full range of vocabulary. Their brains are barely developed, and their grief is simply not going to come out in words, it's going to come out in other ways. Like you said, your daughter was throwing herself on the floor because grief and trauma is stored, first and foremost, in your body, before you even have words. Michele Benyo [15:53]: Yes. It will be in their play. That's why play therapy is so effective with children. That's what we did with Deanna in the beginning. She was three and a half, and we found a play therapist for her, so that that person could just listen to her and watch her play and talk to her about what she was playing because she was playing about bun bun. Her nickname was bunny. Michele Benyo [16:19]: They play about the person who died, and they might play about a funeral or some kind of thing like that, and we can learn so much by just paying attention to what they're doing. Like you say often, their play might be very aggressive and physical. And their behavior may be what we mistake as misbehavior, because they don't know how to get it out any other way. Alyssa Scolari [16:48]: Exactly. Exactly. Absolutely. Now, talking about play therapy, with Good Grief Parenting, can you explain like the general approach in your Good Grief Parenting? As I understand it, and please correct me if I'm wrong, you work with both the children who have lost a sibling as well as parents? Or do you work with the parents to help them to help their children? Michele Benyo [17:12]: I work with the parents. I don't work with the children because parents are going to be with these kids for the rest of their lives. And these kids are going to have needs for the rest of their lives. I came across a quote early on in my building of Good Grief Parenting. And it is so perfect to kind of explain what I do. And it's a quote by an author named Anne Roiphe, who wrote a book after her husband died. And in it, she said, there are two parts to grief. The first part is loss. And the second part is the remaking of life. Michele Benyo [17:49]: So when we have the support groups and the things that are there right after we've had the loss. Deanna went to support groups at the hospital, so did I. But then after our eight weeks, the rest of her life is ahead of her. I as a parent understood, and probably more than a lot of parents, because I was in the field of early childhood development, that this was going to affect so much about her life for the rest of her life. And how did I parent her with that grief-informed approach to parenting, and there was no one out there doing that? Michele Benyo [18:25]: So I really am the longer term look at raising these children, not just getting through the loss, because play therapy helps with that. The support groups and the art activities and the things that help kids process it, help with that. But then what about the rest of their lives when they're encountering all kinds of secondary losses? They go to school and do their little stories on their family and they are ... Deanna's sibling, I coin the term sibling by heart, because she's a sibling, but her brother isn't alive to look at her. She looks like an only. She's not an only. There's a big difference between a child who's born an only, and a child who is an only because their sibling died. Michele Benyo [19:21]: Yeah. So a lot of needs, a lot of behaviors that children are going to express. When a child experiences the loss of a sibling at a young age, they're going to reprocess that over and over again as they get older and have a better understanding of what that means to them and how that affected their life and changed their life, and the void that's there. Michele Benyo [19:46]: So I work with parents for the long haul. I am a certified grief specialist, and we start there, because before the parent can help the child, they need to make sure their needs are being met. And their grief is being held gently because you can't help your child with grief if you can't help yourself with grief. I start with that piece, and get parents stabilized in recognizing how some of the things we think about grief, that we avoid it. We don't talk about it. We don't talk to kids. How to do those things differently and in more healthy ways. And then we move into just, really, what does parenting look like? Alyssa Scolari [20:31]: Yeah. Yeah. So I really appreciate that you help. What I hear you saying is you help people in the, when they are more or less emerging from the immediate crisis and the acute trauma. I think that's very important because that's when so many people and so many supports pull out. Are you familiar with David Kessler? Michele Benyo [20:57]: Yes. Mm-hmm [affirmative]. Mm-hmm [affirmative]. Alyssa Scolari [21:01]: The book, was it The Sixth Stage of Grief book, Finding Meaning? I believe he put out a book a few years ago. I believe it's The Sixth Stage of Grief. I've talked about it on the podcast, so the listeners, I'm sure you've heard me talk about this before, is a phenomenal book. But one of the things that he talks about, and then I think so many people who come into my office who have had any kind of loss struggle with is in the beginning, when a loss first happens, everybody gathers round, and everybody is there and people are bringing food and people are checking in. Alyssa Scolari [21:34]: And then typically after the memorial service or the funeral or whatever kind of service there may be, it dies off. That is when things get so difficult, because of all of the, like you said, secondary losses. So that is where you come in to help support parents when they're sort of like, okay, now what? Now how do I keep breathing? Michele Benyo [22:07]: Yes. Yeah. That is just so difficult. And that is really, I think, where the difference about child loss is so apparent. I mean, that happens with any griever, supports go away later. But when it's a child, it's like it's this triple taboo topic to talk about the fact that a child died. And so people just don't want to entertain it. They don't want to upset the family, the parents, and they don't want to think about it because they've got their own little kids, and they don't want to think about the possibility that they could experience that. Michele Benyo [22:46]: I even remember that for myself. I had some friends who had serious things with their kids before my son was diagnosed. And I remember finding myself feeling bad for those families and thinking sort of statistically or whatever, that that was probably the closest I was going to get to it. Somehow thought that knowing these other families that were experiencing this meant that I wouldn't, in some crazy way. And then there I was. Yeah. Our relationships change so drastically with the people around us. Alyssa Scolari [23:30]: Yeah. They really do. They really do. Now, can you speak a little bit about the stages of grief. I know we were talking a little bit about this before we hit that record button. But for so many people out there, and I know that a quite a few listeners of the podcasts are therapists. And a lot of us, when it comes to grief, we are taught what feels like a very simple formula. Grief, here are the five stages. Now, David Kessler has now, there is a six stage, which is finding meaning. Tell me about your thoughts and your opinions on these stages of grief and how they are used, and if they are accurate to what people truly feel? Michele Benyo [24:24]: I don't think they are accurate. And I don't think they're helpful because so many people lean on it. I remember when I lost my son, I knew nothing about grief. And I had friends, people who were not professional in any way, quoting these stages to me, that I was now going to go through. And I didn't go through them. I didn't in any way, shape or form. And I kept thinking, why aren't I angry? Why aren't I this? Why aren't I that? And I felt like I was doing grief wrong. And I kept looking for these things to happen to me. Michele Benyo [25:12]: And I think the reason that there's so many articles out there and people out there who really misuse those stages, and I think that's the danger about them because Elisabeth Kübler-Ross didn't design these as the stages of grief. She stated these stages as what a person goes through when they themselves have had a terminal diagnosis, which is very different. Because I think if I had been diagnosed myself, those stages would've been a bit more apparent in me. Michele Benyo [25:48]: But I think so many people are not really trained in grief, and they grab a hold of what they've heard, and they want to offer something to the griever, so they offer this. And I have been just so appreciative to see that there are many other ways of viewing grief that are now available. I like to think about how William Worden talks about the different tasks that we have. And I love that we now talk about how significant continuing bonds are as opposed to what Freud used to tell us, which is get over the relationship and move on. Michele Benyo [26:30]: And so I think, as you know, because you work with people who go through trauma and you don't see ... People don't go through it the same. They all go through it in their own way. And you need to really, as you know, look at what they're experiencing, and honor that. And help people through it without them feeling like there's a particular way that they're supposed to do it. Michele Benyo [26:55]: So I stay away from the stages myself because I look at some of the other things that are going to be happening in the families that they're going to need to be dealing with. And the fact that since I look at sibling loss and early childhood sibling loss, that griever that I'm focused on, the sibling is going to change in so many ways as they mature and develop cognitively and experientially. Their grief is going to change drastically. Alyssa Scolari [27:28]: Yes. I'm sure it's continuously changing. Always. Now, I just want to make sure I heard you correctly because this is a fascinating little fact that I don't think many people know. Did you say that the five stages of grief were originally created in response to a person being diagnosed with a terminal illness? Michele Benyo [27:47]: Yes. Yeah. They were not the stages of grief. They were the stages that a person goes through, who's been diagnosed with a terminal illness. So, yeah. Kind of a different take. Alyssa Scolari [27:59]: Okay. So if I learned that in grad school, I apologize to my professors because that is so interesting how we have taken that and sort of just generalized it to all grief. All grief. That is really, really fascinating. So with your approach, what would you say, because I know sometimes you talk about the four keys to helping young children heal from grief. Can you share those with us? Michele Benyo [28:29]: Yes. I have a Good Grief Parenting framework that is sort of four pillars. I call them heartbeats. But then I also just offer these four simple things that I think any adult who works with children because ... So Michele's telling us now that we're supposed to deal with this with our kids, and we're supposed to talk to them. That feels scary, I think, to a lot of adults. Michele Benyo [28:56]: And so, first of all, the first key is, as I said, take care of yourself and make sure that you're meeting your own needs. And that doesn't mean just bubble baths and walks in the woods. It means figuring out what it is that you really need in the midst of this crisis that you're having, and this devastating loss that you've experienced. Michele Benyo [29:21]: And then making sure that you are speaking up for yourself and getting your needs met and taking time to do that and getting the support you need, even though you have young children. Parenting and grieving are the two toughest roles that adults and families have. And when you've got to do them at the same time, how do you do that? So self-care has to come first. As important as your little person is, and they are, they're relying on you totally, you need to take care of yourself first. Michele Benyo [29:58]: And then the other key is recognizing that rather than shying away from the loss and kind of avoiding it and kind of not wanting to bring it up to upset anybody, that continuing bonds piece of building the relationship and continuing it forward in new ways is so important for yourself and for your child because that sibling bond doesn't end. I have met adults who lost a sibling as a young child whose parents never talked about that child again. And they grew up with this void and with this feeling that something was off that they could never quite deal with. Michele Benyo [30:43]: And some of the research that I discovered later as I continue to look at this really showed that people who kept that relationship, bereaved siblings, bereaved as children who kept that relationship felt good about it. Felt good that they had it, even though their sibling wasn't there. So that continuing bonds, finding ways to honor that child in your family or that loved one in your family is a healing thing. So when people tell you, you shouldn't keep your child's things in the house or get rid of their picture or whatever, your gut feeling that, no, I want to keep these here, is correct. You are the one that knows what's best for you. So continuing bonds is a second key. Michele Benyo [31:35]: And the third one is conversation, having conversations with your child around this loss and around other griefs as well. I share the story of all of us experience grief in childhood first, and it's not always the death of a loved one. For me, the first grief that I remember was the loss of a floating toy. I was at the lake, and he got away. Wally the walrus, my riding floating toy that was so fun, got away from me, and he started to float off. And the adults who could swim, tried to get him, but the wind took him out of reach. Michele Benyo [32:19]: And I had to stand on the beach and watch him float. I watched him until he was a dot on the horizon. And I felt, I mean to this day, and that was decades ago, to this day I feel that feeling of, oh, I've lost him. He's gone. I'm never going to get him back. And that's what grief is. Mark Twain has a quote that says, and I'm paraphrasing it, but it's in all matters of grief, a child's loss of a doll and a king's loss of a crown are losses of the same weight. Michele Benyo [32:59]: The fourth key then is to honor grief, to honor childhood grief, so that kids can learn that grief is natural. Yes, it was just a toy, which is what many of us as adults would say, and we can get a new one. Or the dog is hit by a car, we'll get a new puppy. Well, fine, but it won't be that puppy. I mean grief is something that we need to help children recognize is very real and normal and natural. And we experience it, we experience loss, and then this is how we live forward. Those are the four keys. Michele Benyo [33:43]: The first one is that self-care. The second one is maintain continuing bonds. The third one is to invite conversation. And the fourth one is to honor grief, even children's grief. If I lost Wally the walrus today, it wouldn't be a case for grief with me, because I'm an adult, but it was for me as a child. Alyssa Scolari [34:06]: It was. Absolutely. Michele Benyo [34:07]: Yeah. Alyssa Scolari [34:08]: Incredible advice. Absolutely incredible. Thank you for that. I've learned so, so much, and I can only imagine that the listeners have learned so much too. Even phrases like siblings by heart and secondary loss, these are things that are not talked about a lot, but are so, so crucial and vital. We've also talked a lot about the importance of communication. How it is so important to continue this conversation. Now, is that what you would say is one of the biggest mistakes that parents or adults would make regarding children and grief? Michele Benyo [34:50]: Yes. I would put it at the very top. Alyssa Scolari [34:52]: Very top. Michele Benyo [34:55]: Yeah. That idea that we don't want to talk about it. Like my daughter, when she was 15 months old, she was picking up the vibes. I mean, when they're around us and we're experiencing this, they pick up on it. They're very perceptive. They're watching us. They're listening to us. They're feeling us. Michele Benyo [35:19]: And if we don't tell them what's happening, they are going to feel very insecure, very worried, very scared. They're going to see us being upset, and they're going to wonder, is mom going to be able to take care of me? She's not herself. So talking to them is really the most important thing we can do. And we don't need to tell them everything. We just need to tell them enough so that they know what's going on. Of course, be age appropriate. Michele Benyo [35:51]: And one of the things that is so counterintuitive for adults is that we really should use the word dead and died. That's the only word that really tells the child what happened. If we use those other words, they don't quite know what that means. Alyssa Scolari [36:11]: Right. It's very confusing for children to say words or phrases like, your brother or sister gained their wings. Or your brother and sister are in heaven. Like it's very confusing for kids. Michele Benyo [36:22]: Yes. Yes. And it's true that young children, three and a half younger, don't necessarily know what dead means, but they get the vocabulary word, just like they get all the other for vocabulary words that we give them, and they grow into understanding it. And we can tell them, your brother died. He can't talk to you anymore. He can't feel. His body stopped working. And he can't do these things anymore. You can tell him that we bury him or whatever, or just that they're not going to see him again. Michele Benyo [37:03]: And then let their questions guide the information that you give them. And that's why as they get older and they understand it more, then they're going to ask some of the questions they maybe didn't ask earlier. But they still know that what happened is this thing called dead. And so they never have any doubt that they're not going to see this person again. Alyssa Scolari [37:26]: Exactly. Exactly. Thank you. Michele Benyo [37:28]: And they're not afraid of that the way we are. Adults don't want to use those words. I had to learn to say my son died. I had to learn to be able to get that phrase out to anybody, let alone my daughter, because we don't want to describe it that way. But to my daughter, it's just a word. It's what happened. Kids don't shy away from that word the way adults do. Alyssa Scolari [37:55]: Right. Kids do not attach the same level of heaviness or stigma or shame to so many words. That's something children learn as they grow into adults. We learn so much from children. Michele Benyo [38:09]: We do. Alyssa Scolari [38:10]: We really do. We really do. That's a whole another podcast- Michele Benyo [38:14]: That is. Alyssa Scolari [38:17]: Michele, thank you so much for being here today. If people would like to find you, where can people reach you? Michele Benyo [38:24]: They can reach me at my website, goodgriefparenting.com. Right at the top of that page, they can download a copy of my Good Grief Guide. So it's the Good Grief Guide on goodgriefparenting.com. And in the Good Grief Guide, I actually do provide more information about some of these ideas of grief that are misleading for us and how we cope with it. As well as suggestions for actually how to talk to kids, because that's the other thing. Okay, you tell me to talk to my child, how exactly do I do that? Michele Benyo [39:03]: So I would just ask all of your listeners to download this Good Grief Guide, whether or not you know anyone right now, any child right now who's grieving, so that you have it when you need it. Or you have it to share with someone who may need it. And you don't have to go looking for how to do this. And hopefully you never will need it, but you may, and you may be able to support someone else. And then if you want to reach me personally, my website is the place to do that as well. So that's goodgriefparenting.com. Alyssa Scolari [39:39]: Yes. That's even a great resource to keep on hand for the therapist. My therapist listeners, something I definitely will be keeping on hand for myself as well. You all know the drill, the link is in the show notes. So go on over, check that out. Alyssa Scolari [39:58]: Michele, thank you again for joining me and for being so vulnerable, sharing your story. This is a really hard thing to talk about, but I learned so much and I appreciate the work that you are doing, because you are not alone in what you have gone through, and you are speaking so that others can feel supported. Thank you so much for everything that you are doing. Michele Benyo [40:27]: Thank you, Alyssa. I was very happy to have the opportunity to be here. Thank you. Alyssa Scolari [40:33]: Thanks for listening everyone. For more information, please head over to lightaftertrauma.com, or you can also follow us on social media. On Instagram we are @lightaftertrauma. And on Twitter it is @lightafterpod. Lastly, please head over to patreon.com/lightaftertrauma to support our show. We are asking for $5 a month, which is the equivalent to a cup of coffee at Starbucks. So please head on over again, that's patreon.com/lightaftertrauma. Thank you. And we appreciate your support. [singing].
As the parent of a child who survived the passing of her sister, I know one of the biggest concerns, when a child dies early, is, "How do I help my other child?" Michele Benyo is a mom of two, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, an early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Her mission is twofold: to help parents through the unimaginable challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a child, and to help parents meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy.ℹ️ https://www.goodgriefparenting.comIf you enjoy this episode, you can leave a small tip at:https://www.grief2growth.com/tipjarI'd really appreciate a review at:https://ratethispodcast.com/grief2growthSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/grief2growth)
Today Shane is joined by Michele Benyo, a mom of two, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, an early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Her mission is twofold: to help parents through the unimaginable challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a child, and to help parents meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. The desire of Michele's heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. Connect with Michele and Good Grief Parenting www.goodgriefparenting.com https://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/ https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparenting/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentsraisingyoungsiblings
Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, parent mentor and founder of Good Grief Parenting, whose purpose is to support parents who are raising young bereaved siblings after child loss. Her mission is to be a voice for the youngest of grievers and to help parents nurture and understand the unique needs of the children who have lost a sibling in early childhood. https://www.goodgriefparenting.com/about michele@michelebenyo.com
In today's episode, I talk with grief expert Michele Benyo about how to parent while we are grieving. This is a very timely discussion now that we are a year and a half into a global pandemic, where many people have lost many things, including loved ones, jobs and life as they knew it. Join us! And if you want to connect with Michele, you can find her at https://goodgriefparenting.com/. ► Subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoFMYuRYxQS6LR10bqneIOA?sub_confirmation=1 Join The VILLAGE for Moms here - http://thevillageformoms.net/ Get your copy of my book here - https://amzn.to/2LFw3l0 Join my FREE Facebook group where we talk about all things parenting - https://www.facebook.com/groups/powerfulparentingfortodayskids/ Follow me online here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinTaylorOfficial/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erintaylor_ma/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-taylor-5706bb1/ Website: https://erin-taylor.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/powerful-parenting/support
That's not a misprint, there is such a thing as "good grieving"... Michele Benyo and I talk through some really important ways we can walk through grief and how to parent our children through grief and loss in a way that validates their experiences and allows them to grieve well. This is so important bc loss is a guarantee and we can help prepare our children for WHEN, not if, it happens... this episode is packed full of incredibly helpful ideas as we parent our kids.Find Michele Benyo's 7 week course and also her free resource for adults at Good Grief Parenting: https://www.goodgriefparenting.com/aboutIG: https://www.instagram.com/michelebenyo_goodgrief/FB: https://www.facebook.com/michele.benyoAnd you can contact me through:falling.jill@gmail.com or through both IG/FB Info on Patreon coming soon!!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/theuplifteffect)
Michele Benyo is a mom of two, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter's heartbreaking statement – "Mommy, half of is gone" – defined Michele's life purpose. Michele says “Childhood sibling loss has deep ramifications that few people recognize; it impacts the most basic of day-to-day interactions. My daughter spoke it so well one day on the playground when she said to me, "No one can know the pain that we feel." My daughter's loss will never ever be okay. Yet I couldn't change it. I simply had to make the best lemonade that I possibly could. I had to figure out how to do the rest of our lives—how to help her cope with her loss, shine light into the void, and remake a meaning-full life around her altered identity as a sibling by heart.” Michele's mission today is twofold: to help parents through the challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a young child, and to help parents meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. Michele's heart's desire is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. In this episode, Michele tells her story, what she needed as a bereaved parent of a young child, and provides some guidance on how to cope, build resilience and live after such a devastating loss. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message
Even out of unspeakable grief, beautiful things can take wing which has been the case for this week's guest, Michele Benyo. Michele loved the motherhood journey so much that she decided to go back to school after the birth of her two children and receive her masters in family education in order to become an Early Childhood Parent Educator. It was shortly thereafter that grief began when her son was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 4. The experience ultimately led to her current role as a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist™️. Michele's younger daughter also played a pivotal role in her career path as she experienced her own grief alongside her 3.5 year-old when her son died.Today, Michele helps families heal and “live forward” with grief after the death of their child. With the Good Grief Parenting Approach, parents get in touch with their parenting wisdom so they can be confident that they are helping their bereaved young child grieve well and can be hopeful about a future for their family bright with possibilities and even joy. Episode Highlights:Michele's experience and journey with grief and how it's shaped her life and career pathAnswering the question “are kids resilient?” (and why sometimes having resilience is besides the point)Why childhood is the best time to teach about griefMistakes that adults often make when it comes to children grievingWhy Michele and her husband decided to include their young daughter in many of the experiences that came along with their sons cancer journeyThe Good Grief Parenting FrameworkWhat it means to “live forward”Continuing bondsFinding permission to grieve in a society that tells us to move onMentioned in the episode:Grieving mom is comforted by her 5-year-old articleConnect with Michele:https://goodgriefparenting.com/servicesOrder the GG x SSFYL Collab: Not Your Average Grief BoxBe sure to follow @griefbotique on Instagram and sign up for the newsletter on SSFYLpodcast.com or griefboutique.com and be the first to receive updates!Enjoying #SSFYL? Be sure to subscribe and share with a friend!Website | www.ssfylpodcast.comInstagram | https://www.instagram.com/sosorrywithgiannaFacebook Group | https://www.facebook.com/groups/ssfylpodcastYouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyoo17xXVkpLD0WiTbqsh8w