Maria Quiban Whitesell & Lauren Schneider Discuss Their New Book "You Can't Do It Alone"
“When a child is old enough to ask, then they’re old enough to hear the answer. You can’t hide stuff from children. They’re so smart, and so astute.”
— Maria Quiban Whitesell
I had such a great discussion with Maria Quiban Whitesell and Lauren Schneider for this episode. Maria and Lauren have just written a book called “You Can’t Do It Alone: A Widow’s Journey Through Loss, Grief, and Life After.” The book is a memoir based on Maria’s journey with her late husband’s brain cancer – which is, of course, a subject near and dear to my heart. Lauren adds her professional perspective throughout the book in sections called “Grief Therapist’s Notebook.”
Some topics that Maria and Lauren and I discuss include:
How Maria’s husband acting oddly on a trip to Paris prompted him to see a doctor, which led to his diagnosis of inoperable, terminal brain cancer;
How critical her family therapist during this whole journey, including helping Maria and Sean figure out how to talk with their son about his dad’s cancer;
Why it’s so important to be honest with kids, no matter how difficult the situation is;
The rule of thumb that if a child is old enough to ask a question, they are old enough to hear the answer;
Tip: a grief support center can be a great resource for getting a referral to a therapist who is experienced in working with grieving families and grieving kids;
What to do if your kids are upset that paramedics or the funeral home team remove their parent’s body from the home while they are asleep or away;
How to handle it if your child expresses a wish to be with their deceased parent; and
How thankful Maria is for their very supportive family and friends.
I hope you enjoy my discussion with Maria Quiban Whitesell and Lauren Schneider.
Links & resources for this episode
You Can’t Do It Alone: A Widow’s Journey Through Loss, Grief, and Life After, by Maria Quiban Whitesell, with Lauren Schneider
Maria on social media: @mariasearth
More links for listeners
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BetterHelp - Talk with a licensed, professional therapist online. Get 10% off your first month: betterhelp.com/widowedparent
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