ABSTRACT
Sadness in children is a normal but debilitating emotion. It has a healthy and an unhealthy side. When it is associated with loss it can be part of the painful but normal healing process. But when it is tied to failure and purposelessness it is very negative. Like adults, some children will be more vulnerable to this emotion than others. This may be through temperamental disposition and/or early experiences. Like any other emotion sadness has its own dynamics. Once children are in the grips of sadness they are more likely to experience negative experiences. For many children today their sadness will be in reaction either to the loss of a parent through death or to family breakdown. Whichever it is, the more we understand the better able we will be to give the best support and care we can.
