Welcome to The Widowed Parent Blog
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Grief Camps for Kids, Teens, Families & Adults, Updated for 2026
I’ve updated the list of grief camps to include 201 camps around the US, mostly scheduled for this summer, but some for this spring and fall. The majority are free, but many of those that aren’t typically will waive the fee for those in need. There are both day and overnight camps, and I’ve separated…
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College Scholarships for Widows & Widowers
A few folks have asked me about scholarships for widows and widowers going back to college, so I’ve created this list of 92 scholarships for widowed spouses. I’ll continue to add scholarships as I come across new ones. Check out the list and contact me if you know of any scholarships that should be added…
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More College Scholarships for Students Who Have Lost a Parent, Updated for 2026-2027
For those of you with a student either applying to college or already in college, I’ve just added 19 scholarships to the list of college scholarships for students with a deceased parent for the 2026-2027 academic year. I also added a new category of scholarships for students who lost a parent to cancer. The list…
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College Scholarships for Students Who Have Lost a Parent, Updated for 2026-2027
For those of you with a student either applying to college or already in college, I’ve updated the list of college scholarships for students with a deceased parent for the 2026-2027 academic year. I added 12 scholarships and removed ones that are no longer funded, so the list now totals 160 scholarships, separated into these…
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Top 7 Things NOT to Do After a Death
After my husband died, I felt well supported by my friends and family and members of the community, but I also had some unpleasant or awkward experiences. I truly believe most people have good intentions, but a recent death in my town reminded me of some of the “don’ts” I experienced:
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What Widowed Parents Need to Know About the Probate Process
When my husband died, I had no idea what probate was. All I knew was that I needed to go through this legal process in order to sell our house, which was in both of our names, and to access any accounts that were only in his name. Since he had what was considered a…
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Top 8 FAQs on the Probate Process for Widowed Parents
When your spouse dies, it seems very cruel that most people are then subjected to probate, a very complicated legal process to access the money and assets that your spouse solely owned. For widowed parents who need to go through probate, these are the top frequently asked questions: What is probate? When someone dies, probate…
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How to Request Free Christmas Gifts for Your Kids
If you’re struggling to buy gifts for your kids this Christmas, check out these organizations that provide free Christmas gifts to families in need: Hope for Widows Foundation provides assistance for the holidays to widows and their children through its Bring Hope Holiday Assistance Program. To apply, complete the 2025 online application by November 22.…
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Top 8 FAQs on Social Security Survivor Benefits for Widowed Parents
What are Social Security Survivor benefits? There are two types of benefits you are potentially eligible to receive when your spouse dies: a one-time death benefit payment of $255 and monthly Survivor payments based on your late spouse’s working record. Read my blog post on What Widowed Parents Need to Know About Social Security Survivor…
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What Widowed Parents Need to Know About Social Security Claiming Strategies
Social Security benefits are complex and confusing. If you are widowed and planning for retirement, there are different factors and strategies that can affect the amount of your benefit and when to claim it. Types of Benefits These Social Security benefits are potentially available to widow(er)s, but not at the same time, and they are…