The year 2020 was a tough year for all. Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic, affecting everyone in ways many of us could not have imagined. Schools were redefined, social gatherings were strongly discouraged, celebrations were postponed, and death tolls climbed making loss a common experience for everyone. While the degrees of loss could be arguably disputed, loss is a personal experience and a difficult one to process. In an effort to help our state constituents process their experience of loss in a healthy and productive manner, several state specialists in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Kentucky participated in an eight-week educational series hosted by Dr. Amy Hosier entitled Living with Loss – Playing the Hand You Are Dealt.

The series covered several topics including how and when to talk to children about loss, the importance of self-care, physical activity, and nutrition during times of loss, creative and therapeutic ways to process and cope with loss, and even discussed the difficult topics of suicide and substance abuse. The series was well promoted through all county extension offices and the use of social media posts through outlets such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Drs. Kerri Ashurst and David Weisenhorn teamed up to share their expertise in parenting, family relationships, and child development through their presentation entitled “Talking with Kids about Loss.” The presentation began with Dr. Weisenhorn discussing ways children experience grief. He highlighted research by Dr. Kubler-Ross that defines stages of grief while gently reminding the audience that grief is individual and is rarely a linear process. Furthermore, he shared responses parents and caregivers should avoid, while Dr. Ashurst followed seamlessly providing thoughtful and appropriate ways of connecting to a child dealing with the difficulties of loss. The presentation concluded with discussions about local resources that are equipped to help and serve families and individuals who desire professional help.

This presentation was attended by 32 direct contacts and nearly 1,500 indirect (1,499).  The responses captured in the chat feature of the social media outlets expressed an exuberant applause for the timely content. Many participants responded with personal stories of dealing with loss and how the presentation helped them, such as this one, “My stepchildren’s mother died unexpectedly about a month ago and this information was just what I needed.  It gave me some reassurance that what my husband and I were currently doing was appropriate and gave me ideas for how to continue to support the girls.  I have already texted my husband and told him to watch the recording this evening.” FCS program series and individual presentations such as these continue to be relevant and meet the university goals of providing timely, research-based, and meaningful information that strengthen families and ultimately the commonwealth.