Triggers can come in all shapes and forms – for example through a joke, like a fake pregnancy announcement on April Fool’s day. Remember, those sending them out on social media surely are not doing it with the intent to harm, but to pull someone’s leg. They usually don’t think that far as to who they might be offending.
“But they should just know!”
If this is your expectation, it will set you up for disappointment. The truth is: they don’t just know. Empathy is easy when you’ve experienced something but it’s not everyone’s strong suit when they haven’t experienced the death of their child.
Did you always react with empathy and sensitiveness before you became a bereaved parent? I guess most of us were just as oblivious as those we are expecting to know better now.
Take action now
Here is where you can step into action: Let your friends and family know what might upset you and why, for example by sharing an image you can find on pages supporting bereaved parents. We’ve got ours here for you and you’re welcome to share it.
PS. And it’s not just bereaved parents that might be hurt, so we kept it non-specific.