Navigating the Gap: Children's Experiences of Home and School Life Following Maternal Death

This article is the second reporting on the findings from a study of the experiences of families following the death of a parent. Four Danish families consisting of four fathers and seven children were interviewed about their experiences following the death of the mother in the family. The results presented here focus on the experiences of the children. Using thematic analysis assisted by the qualitative data analysis software NVivo 12 Pro, two overall themes were found, Life in the Home and Life Outside the Home. The children experienced a clear dichotomy between the two lifeworlds post-loss and found it difficult navigating between the two. The recommendations offered for an improvement of the care for bereaved children are based on the children's own advice.

Automated summary

Children in the study experienced a clear dichotomy between home life and life outside the home following the death of a parent, finding it challenging to navigate between the two worlds. The recommendations for improving care for bereaved children are based on the children's own advice.