Bear Us In Mind

A Psychological

Toolkit For Children

Welcome to Bear Us In Mind, an online resource to help children who have experienced bereavement, separation or trauma.

Bear Us In Mind was originally developed as a physical toolkit in response to the outbreak of the war in Ukraine to help families affected by war and displacement. Since then, the toolkit has expanded its scope, and is now a free, online-only resource for use with children dealing with loss of any kind. It includes training videos, downloadable worksheets, and activities available in English, Arabic, Dari, Pashto, Russian and Ukrainian.

When a child experiences bereavement or trauma, an important element can be being supported in a safe, familiar setting, with activities that help a child express and manage their feelings and rebuild trust and resilience to help avoid negative outcomes later in life.

Whether you’re a school teacher or other professional, or a parent / carer / part of a host family, you can work through the resource with a child at the child’s pace, guided by their age and understanding. There is no need to be qualified in grief support to use the tools, but it is helpful to follow the guidelines and support the child as they work alongside you.

Bear Us In Mind is now hosted by Child Bereavement UK. For confidential bereavement support or guidance, you can call our Helpline on 0800 02 888 40, email helpline@childbereavementuk.org, or use Live Chat via the website: childbereavementuk.org where you can also find bereavement support resources in other languages.

The Bear Us In Mind resources have also been adapted by the Naval Children’s Charity, which aims to support children and young people from military families to process feelings of separation.  

Psychological Toolkit

Whether you’re a child’s parent, host family or teacher, these tools are for you.

We originally created this toolkit for children arriving from Ukraine, however you can now make your own to support any child experiencing separation, loss or bereavement. You’ll find a range of tools to help children to manage their trauma and rebuild strength and trust.

Any questions?

If you would like to ask any questions about Bear Us in Mind and how the toolkits can be used to support children and young people, please get in touch with Child Bereavement UK.

If your query refers to The Naval Children’s Charity specifically, please email caseworkers@navalchildrenscharity.org.uk.

  • Julie Stokes OBE

    “What matters most is not what happens to us in life, but our attitude to those events. We all have a duty to reach out, actively listen and create conversations of lasting impact for those children whose lives have been traumatised by war, profound separation and bereavement.”

  • Di Stubbs, author of A Child’s Grief

    “It is almost unimaginable to be young and suddenly and forcibly separated from the comfort of known things. ‘Bear Us In Mind’ is a creative, thoughtful, crucial resource that gives parents and supporting community members tools and activities to help children explore their feelings of loss in these disorienting times. Each of the activities comes with clear and helpful guidelines for caring adults on how to use them to help a child safely explore their feelings and begin to feel a little more resilient and grounded; a little less alone.”

  • Caroline - hosting a family from Ukraine

    “We are hosting a family with two children and although the mum is not ready yet to introduce the children to the toolkit (they are just settling in and starting school and she wants them to do this first), I hope that over the summer holidays I can help their mum and do the activities. They are fortunate to still be in touch with their dad and I think the beautiful little postcard idea is very sweet. I appreciated the guidelines for each item and the information about possible trauma and how to help - my main worry was about making things harder for them but I see now that not saying anything at all could actually be worse, and I feel confident enough to at least try the activities – I do think the children will enjoy sharing with me about their lives back home, as they do miss their friends as well as their dad.”

  • Louise - a child and family support worker

    “I thought the toolkit was extremely well put together and had a good deal of choice to suit all ages. I particularly liked the clear concise instructions, which were easy for anyone to use and also the fact that there was an explanation as to what the purpose was of the activity and how it would benefit a child. I think it would give a person some direction and confidence to be able to offer support to a child. “

  • Gail - Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator

    “These tools will provide an enormous support to those who are supporting displaced families. Every family and every individual will have their own ‘story’ and their own context and it can be both bewildering and overwhelming to know where to begin supporting them. Every circumstance and experience of a family will be different; this will provide a possible ‘way in’ to support dealing with that trauma. The help sheets / guides I believe will be invaluable in providing suggestions as to how different items can be used as well as giving a context as to why they can support any trauma. Children who have suffered trauma, bereavement, separation and other events often don’t have the words to express what they are feeling or have seen, so the activities could help provide a ‘bridge’ to allow healing to happen and communication channels to open.”