Holidays are normally a time of joy and celebration amongst families; however, they can heighten children’s sense of loss. Whether it is loss from a death or a divorce, a child is more likely to acknowledge the fact that the relative is missing during these times that are spent with family. According to recent census [...]
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Osama bin Laden’s Death: Tips for Talking with Your Child
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May 5, 2011
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The news this week of Osama bin Laden’s death evokes countless emotions. As I look back on the tragic day of September 11, 2001, I shudder with the memories of fear for our country and the immensity of how Rainbows For All Children could help the families who had loved ones die. There’s also the [...]
OTH Writer Challenges Time Magazine Article on Grief
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March 18, 2011
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Recently, TIME magazine published an article, “New Ways to Think About Grief,” by Ruth Davis Konigsberg and it listed several myths on grief. Open to Hope contributing writer Suzy Yehl Marta, founder of Rainbows For All Children, wrote a letter to the editor, copied here: Dear Ruth, Thank you for your recent article, “New Ways [...]
Oldest Edwards Daughter May Have the Toughest Journey
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December 14, 2010
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Following are thoughts from Suzy Yehl Marta about the recent death of Elizabeth Edwards. Why do you think people around the country are so moved by her death? Most likely, it is because of the drama and trauma she has endured with her husband’s affair and baby. When this happens to anyone it is humiliating [...]
Children Without Grief Support May Turn to Bullying
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July 7, 2010
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News headlines are increasingly filled with tragic stories of youth becoming violent because they seemingly are lashing out to their peers as a way of expressing their anger, which I believe is often a result of a significant change in their family. While bullying is a recent issue in the public eye, it is an [...]
Haiti’s Children Need Emotional Support after Quake
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March 19, 2010
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As the world pulls together to deliver physical necessities such as food, water and shelter, we must remember to respond to the emotional healing that is needed nationwide in Haiti as well. Following the earthquake, the children will experience post-traumatic stress and they will have deep scars, physically and emotionally, that must be tended to. [...]
Seven Ways to Make Holidays Meaningful for Children After a Loss
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November 2, 2009
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The holiday season after my divorce found me overwhelmed and almost totally unprepared. It was a traumatic time, especially for my three young sons. Their father was gone. I went from being a full-time, at-home mom to a single parent working three jobs just to make ends meet. Though I knew the divorce was the [...]
Youth Violence Often the Result of Traumatic Losses
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September 3, 2009
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By Suzy Yehl Marta – Josh was a quiet kid, a seventh grader in a mid-size, Midwest city whose parents’ divorce left him bereft. Fortunately, his school offered a peer-support group for students struggling with family transitions, and Josh chose to attend. Meeting every week, the kids in the group shared their pain, confusion and divided [...]
Children React to a Divorce Much Like They Do to a Death
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August 21, 2009
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Note: After my husband and I divorced, I was so overwhelmed with my grief that I didn’t notice that my three boys were hurting too. I learned that kids aren’t resilient, as so many people say, and I knew I had to look for ways to help them. Following is an excerpt from my book, [...]
Being a Successful Single Dad
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July 2, 2009
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Being a single dad is tough. Even though it is the 21st century and there’s a diversity of family configurations, being a single dad is tough. It can be rewarding and gratifying too. But it’s nonetheless tough. It is tough because one person is on for the all of the responsibilities. There are schedules to organize [...]
