Good Grief Teens - Ages 12–18
Supporting identity, meaning-making and continuing connection after loss
The Good Grief Teens Kit is our Secondary School Bereavement Kit, developed by Noah's Story Charity to support young people aged 12–18 following the death of someone important in their lives.
About this kit
Grief in the teenage years
Adolescence is a period of significant emotional, social and psychological development, and experiences of grief during these years can affect identity, relationships, educational engagement, confidence and wellbeing.
While teenagers fully understand the permanence of death, many find it difficult to express their grief openly. Some worry about being different from their peers; others may feel pressure to appear strong, or to grieve more quickly than feels true to them. Grief during adolescence can present through sadness, anger, withdrawal, anxiety, risk-taking behaviours, difficulties concentrating, or a sense of losing direction and purpose - all recognised responses to loss.
The Good Grief Teens Kit provides practical, meaningful resources that encourage reflection, remembrance, emotional expression and ongoing connection with the person who has died. It acknowledges that grief is not about “forgetting” - instead, it supports young people to find healthy ways to carry love, memories and influence forward into their future.
Our foundation
Rooted in Continuing Bonds Theory
The Good Grief Teens Kit is rooted in Continuing Bonds Theory, developed by Klass, Silverman and Nickman (1996). This influential theory challenged the traditional idea that the goal of grieving is to detach from the person who has died - recognising instead that maintaining an ongoing relationship with a loved one who has died is often a normal, healthy and adaptive part of bereavement.
For teenagers, continuing bonds may involve:
- Thinking about the person who died
- Reflecting on memories and shared experiences
- Visiting meaningful places
- Celebrating anniversaries and significant dates
- Carrying a keepsake
- Living according to values learned from their loved one
- Writing letters, journals or messages
- Feeling inspired or guided by their loved one’s influence
Research suggests that maintaining healthy continuing bonds can support resilience, emotional wellbeing, identity development and meaning-making throughout adolescence.
What's inside the kit
Kit contents and evidence base
Every item in the Good Grief Teens Kit has been chosen with care. Together they encourage reflection, remembrance, emotional expression and ongoing connection with the person who has died.
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Engraved candle holder with a remembrance candle
Remembrance Candle Holder and Candle
How this supports grief
Each kit includes a candle holder engraved with the Noah’s Story Charity message: “Your light still finds its way to me - to Infinity and Beyond”. Accompanied by a remembrance candle, it offers a simple but powerful way to create personal moments of reflection and remembrance.
Lighting a candle can:
- Create a dedicated space for remembering
- Encourage mindfulness and reflection
- Help young people mark special dates and anniversaries
- Offer comfort during periods of heightened grief
- Promote healthy remembrance rituals
Connection to Continuing Bonds Theory
The candle symbolises the enduring impact of a loved one’s life. Although the person is no longer physically present, their influence, values, love and memories continue to illuminate the lives of those who remain. The inscription reinforces the message that grief is not about saying goodbye forever, but about finding new ways of maintaining connection.
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Smooth marble heart to hold, carry or keep in a meaningful place
Marble Heart Keepsake
How this supports grief
The marble heart provides:
- A grounding tool during periods of emotional distress
- Sensory comfort during moments of grief or anxiety
- A discreet source of reassurance in school or social settings
- A personal object associated with memories and connection
Many teenagers find comfort in having a tangible object that connects them to their loved one without drawing attention from others.
Connection to Continuing Bonds Theory
Objects and keepsakes frequently become symbols of enduring relationships after bereavement. The marble heart represents the continuation of love, connection and memory beyond death, while providing a practical tool for emotional regulation.
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Novel by John Green
The Fault in Our Stars
How this supports grief
An internationally acclaimed novel exploring themes of love, loss, legacy, mortality and the impact people have on one another’s lives. The story follows Hazel and Augustus as they confront illness, relationships, uncertainty and the realities of loss - encouraging young people to reflect on how people continue to influence us, even after they are gone.
The novel helps young people:
- Explore complex emotions surrounding loss
- Develop emotional literacy
- Consider questions about meaning and purpose
- Understand that grief is a natural response to love
- Feel less alone in their experiences
Importantly, the book does not offer simplistic solutions to grief - it acknowledges both heartbreak and hope.
Connection to Continuing Bonds Theory
A central theme of the novel is that relationships leave a lasting mark on who we are. Loved ones continue to influence our choices, values, memories and identities - bonds do not end with death but continue in different forms throughout life.
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Printed age-appropriate bereavement booklet produced by Barnardo's
Barnardo's Bereavement Resource for Young People
How this supports grief
The booklet offers:
- Information about grief and bereavement
- Reassurance that grief reactions vary
- Practical coping strategies
- Activities for reflection and emotional expression
- Information about accessing additional support
As young people mature, they often revisit and reprocess their grief in new ways. The booklet is a trusted resource that can be returned to whenever needed - and it can also help parents, carers, teachers and youth workers understand and respond to adolescent grief.
Connection to Continuing Bonds Theory
The booklet complements the wider aims of the kit by encouraging reflection, remembrance, emotional expression and healthy adaptation, while maintaining meaningful connections to the person who has died.
Your light still finds its way to me - to Infinity and Beyond
Engraved on the remembrance candle holder in every Good Grief Teens Kit
Supporting Good Grief
What the Teens Kit supports
The Good Grief Teens Kit promotes key evidence-informed components of healthy bereavement support.
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Reflection
Young people are encouraged to explore their thoughts, feelings and memories at their own pace.
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Emotional Expression
The kit supports healthy expression of grief through reading, reflection and personal remembrance practices.
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Continuing Connection
Each resource reinforces the understanding that maintaining bonds with loved ones who have died is both normal and healthy.
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Meaning-Making
Teenagers are supported to consider how loss shapes their understanding of themselves, their relationships and their future.
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Identity Development
The kit recognises that loved ones continue to influence values, beliefs and personal identity long after death.
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Resilience
By encouraging healthy coping and connection, the kit promotes emotional wellbeing and adaptation following loss.
Looking ahead
Reaching young people through primary care
GPs are often one of the first points of contact for bereaved young people and families. While many do not require specialist intervention, timely access to evidence-informed resources can play a significant role in promoting healthy adjustment after loss.
Through partnership with GP practices across Northern Ireland, Noah’s Story Charity aims to ensure that bereaved young people have access to practical, accessible and compassionate support within their communities. We aim to establish our first Good Grief Partner Practice - a Year One pilot, planned for 2027, that will test the kit model, gather service-user feedback and help us develop a programme that can be scaled more widely.
Here when you need us
Support that meets you where you are
If you are a young person living with grief, or you care about one, you do not have to work it out alone. Take your time - support is here whenever you are ready.
Request a kit
Interested in Good Grief Teens?
A Good Grief Kit costs £22. Tell us that Good Grief Teens (ages 12-18) is the kit you are asking about and we will come back to you about how to get one. The same short form covers all four kits.