Parting gifts: the spiritual needs of children

This article discusses the spiritual lives of children who are facing severe illness or bereavement. Initially, it describes a children's story which had some impact on the author's spiritual views during childhood. The concept of children as spiritual beings is discussed and questions are raised as to why relatively little attention has been given to this as opposed to their religious affiliation. Asserting that children do have a spiritual dimension, the importance of addressing children's spirituality is considered. Discussion is given to ways of assessing and attending to children's spirituality, illustrated with case studies. It is identified that for carers, a degree of self-awareness is crucial in order to develop an open and flexible working definition of what spirituality is and means.