44-year-old Rich Vosler, lives in Burlington County, New Jersey with his 9 children. Rich's wife Joanne died suddenly of cancer in 2005 and he found himself raising his children alone and helping them cope with the tragic loss of their beautiful mother.
The kids range in age from 18 to just 5-years-old! I asked Rich how he suggests that parents help children cope with such a devastating loss. For Rich, the answer is simply to "be there" for your kids. Rich left his high-powered corporate job to work at home for 4 years. He drained his back accounts saying this is the rainy day for which he had been saving. Rich told me that we always hear how resilient kids are, but it takes great time and effort to help them through stressful times. Communication helped his children navigate through the muddy waters of their new life without mom. The kids expressed their sadness and fear in different ways. Rich says one of his older daughters has a hard time opening up, so he just spends time with her, connecting with her and letting her know he is there.
Rich also suggests leaning on your faith and sharing it with your children. He talks about Joanne and has her pictures around the house. He also makes a point to tell the children characteristics they share with their mom. He did whatever he could to let the kids know they are loved and valued.
Hopefully his story can help you if you're helping your child cope with loss. Rich Vosler will be speaking at the South Jersey Mom Conference for Parenting on Sunday, April 18th. There are 12 sessions from 8am to 4:30pm at the Mr. Laurel Marriot. I will be the keynote speaker. Check out their link for more information on the conference and tickets: http://www.sjmomparentconference.com/
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