Following a sudden death in a family in our church I’ve produced a set of cards to help the family communicate as they grieve. The idea is for a child/young person (or parent) to complete the card highlighting a particular feeling/frustration then hand it to a family member/friend to inform them how they’re feeling and allow them to respond appropriately.
The front of the cards features one of six designs with a bold ‘I have something to tell you’ statement and a space to write who the card is to.
The the back of the card features a few multiple-choice topics which enable the child/young person to express how they’re feeling in a simple way (with the option to write something else if the card doesn’t cover it adequately).
The cards are based on a resource created by one of my former young people following the death of her mum. Her university dissertation was subsequently published by BRF as ‘Walking in Their Shadow: supporting children and young people through bereavement’ For speed, I printed a set in-house and handed them to the family we’re supporting, then ordered a set of professionally produced as postcards for future use. Others have asked where they can buy a set, so I looked into how I could make them available without creating too much ongoing work for me to fulfil the orders. You can purchase a set of 25 cards (made up of multiples of the 6 designs) for just £20. The cards are standard postcard size (A6 / 105×148 mm) printed on 330 gsm card with a matte finish, and are produced & delivered by Moo.com
How To Order
If you send £20 to me via Paypal (see instructions below) I will reorder the Moo cards via my account but have them delivered to your address (provided by PayPal).
Step By Step
- Click my PayPal link [http://paypal.me/rickyrew] and enter the amount you want to pay to £20.00 and click ‘Next’. At this point you’ll need to sign into PayPal.
- Tick the ‘Paying for goods or services’ checkbox. This will the provide protection for your payment but will also provide the option for you to provide the delivery address.
- Please ensure the correct address is selected/provided before proceeding.
- Scroll down, check the payment amount is correct, then click ‘Send Money Now’.
When the payment is made I’ll receive a message from PayPay to confirm them payment, and the message will contain your registered email address and the delivery address you specified. I’ll then place the order with Moo and email you to let you know. The approximate delivery time is 7-10 days.
Other Uses…
t has been commented that these cards can be used to aid communication in a number of different situations, not just in the case of bereavement/grief. Some are planning to use them to help people with Autism/Aspergers and others to aid communication with vulnerable adults in a coffee-shop setting.
Future Developments
Although the cards can be used as they are for the contexts above, I’m also keen to see how they might be changed to provide support for those with mental health issues. If you have any thoughts or experience in this area, please comment below or get in touch.