Why they're laughing one minute and crying the next

Children grieve in short bursts. They can only bear sadness for a little while, then they go back to playing. This isn't a lack of feeling. It's how children protect themselves.

Researchers describe healthy grief as moving back and forth between facing the loss and getting on with life. Children do this naturally.

Let them play, laugh and enjoy things. Fun is part of healing, not a betrayal of the person who died.