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MOTHER LOSS

Stages of Emotional Development and Age of Loss: 6-12 year olds

We introduced you to the Stages of Emotional Development and Mother loss in an earlier blog .

Basically, the concept is:

 Age of loss + Stage of Emotional Development + the ability of our caretaker or support system to allow us to grieve our loss = Long term adult adaptability. In other words how emotionally balanced, centered, and adaptable we are as adult.

Now let’s go forward for those of you who experienced mother loss through death or absence from 6-12 years of age.

The major theme for this stage is industry vs. inferiority. 

Experiencing loss in the 6-12 age influences Erickson’s fourth developmental stage that is critical to healthy development. During middle childhood between the ages of about six and eleven, children enter the psychosocial stage known as industry versus inferiority.  As children engage in social interaction with friends and academic activities at school, they begin to develop a sense of pride and accomplishment in their work and abilities. Children who are praised and encouraged develop a sense of competence, while those who are discouraged are left with a sense of inferiority.

At each stage of development, people face a crisis. In order to resolve this crisis, children and adults are faced with mastering the developmental task primary to that stage.  If this skill is successfully achieved, it leads to an ability that contributes to lifelong well being. Failing to master these critical tasks, however, can result in social and emotional struggles that last a lifetime.

Let’s relate this to mother loss, whether through death or absence, a child who loses a mother during this age and stage of emotional development, gets stuck, and often ponders the question, “Is it my fault?”

 6-12 year olds do not have the psychological development, emotional maturity, and experience to know how to cope with a loss.  A child in this age group has a basic cause and effect belief system.  If something happens, there is a cause for it.  When it is the mother who she loses, her cause and effect belief system tells her that she must have done something wrong because mothers do not leave their children.  This is called “Magical Thinking.”  She truly believes she is the cause of the mother’s leaving or death. Mothers leave children because they are bad. This belief may be the root of a life-long inferiority complex as she matures into adulthood.

A motherless daughter once shared with me that her mother had died of cancer when she was 7 years old. She believes that she caused her mother’s death. At 6, in a heated argument, she told her mother she wished she were dead. As an adult, her rational side knows that she could not have caused her mother’s cancer, but her internal 7 year old, believes it to this day. She had been married three times and has been in and out of abusive relationships. Each time she experiences a loss, she believes it is always her fault and she often begs for the relationship to continue, even though it was not healthy for her.

What compounds “Magical Thinking” is when these young girls are not told the truth about an impending loss or death.  This may have been true for the above example. Their feelings intensify if they receive false information.  Many times adults believe that they are protecting the child when they do not tell them what is happening in their world. However, the child is left to make up a story and in their story, they are the ones who caused the loss. They are not adults and do not have the emotional reserve to manage that loss. As hard as it is, the child must know the truth about the loss. It is also critical that the caretaker or whoever the support system is, to allow the daughter to grieve her loss.  Sadly, that often does not happen since the adult is experiencing the grief and loss also.

Women who have experienced mother loss in the 6-12 year old group are said to have the hardest time as adults. They may take on the responsibility for any loss. “It is my fault. Some women will engage in co-dependent behavior to keep relationships from ending.

Most daughters, who experience loss at this age, do not want to talk about it. They will stuff their feelings, and refuse to talk about. However, their feelings often come out in their play.

A psychological coping mechanism for these girls is transference.  A child who experiences loss at this age may transfer her feelings of need and dependency onto the nearest available adult. This could be a father, older sibling, aunt, teacher, neighbor, etc. The transference she uses as a coping mechanism also makes her vulnerable and an easy target for a predator. We have had many women share that this was the time when they experienced abuse from a neighbor or an adult she thought was paying attention to her need. As an adult, she will continue to search for people throughout her life to transfer her feelings of need.

Another example is a motherless daughter whose mother had Multiple Sclerosis and died when she was 7. She was expected to take on an adult role, caring for her younger siblings, cooking, cleaning, and doing the household chores. This woman had to become the adult at age 7. She was not psychologically or emotionally equipped. There was no one to nurture her. As an adult, she was angry and exhibited behaviors that were overbearing, controlling, and bitter. Her relationship with her father was distant and strained as he aged. Part of her anger was pointed at the fact that he did not take care of her when she was a child and now he expected her to take care of him as he aged.  She worked hard to realize that she did not have a childhood. She needed to grief the loss of not only her mother, but the childhood that she did not have. 

A motherless daughter who experienced mother loss at age 12, had to assume the roles of caretaker not only for a sick mother but also for her sister and overbearing, critical father. This loss has translated into an overwhelming feeling of guilt if she cannot take care of things in her life. 

If you have experienced mother loss from the ages of 6-12, can you relate to any of these themes as an adult? How does this play out in your adult life? Are there ways that you act as an adult that connect with these themes? Share your stories. 

17 replies on “Stages of Emotional Development and Age of Loss: 6-12 year olds”

I’m not sure where to go from here, but this is me and I’m actually very relieved that I’m not broken. The youngest of three by 15 years and a motherless daughter at the age of 8 due to pancreatic cancer. Sadly, I’m just discovering the motherless daughter complex as I’m 48. I’m a good mother, not a great one. I’m a poor wife, married for nearly 20 years to a man that ignores and invalidates me and has definite narcissistic tendencies. I’m angry that I chose him and angrier yet that I’m still married to him next year I will be the same age as when my mother died and I can’t help but feel that her 49 years on Earth were valid and well spent and mine are insignificant and I bet she wouldn’t have been proud of the life I developed. Nothing in this world has changed due to my birth. I am special to no one.

It is not surprising that you are just discovering the motherless daughter connection. Mother loss affects every aspect of our life. Losing your mother at age 8 is devastating and sets you up for a lifetime of grief and loss. You do not mention who cared for you after her death? Did they help you mourn her loss? The thing is that grief is a scar and it does not have to control you. You must know that it is there but learn how to manage that grief. Being angry is OK. You must deal with the anger so that you can understand it and it no longer has any power over you. You are entering what is called the Neon Year. It is when you reach the same age as your mother was when you lost her. I have linked a blog I wrote on this that might be helpful. https://www.motherlessdaughtersministry.com/getting-neon-year/
We are here to help and support you on each step of your journey.

It is not surprising that you are just discovering the motherless daughter connection. Mother loss affects every aspect of our life. Losing your mother at age 8 is devastating and sets you up for a lifetime of grief and loss. You do not mention who cared for you after her death? Did they help you mourn her loss? The thing is that grief is a scar and it does not have to control you. You must know that it is there but learn how to manage that grief. Being angry is OK. You must deal with the anger so that you can understand it and it no longer has any power over you. You are entering what is called the Neon Year. It is when you reach the same age as your mother was when you lost her. I have linked a blog I wrote on this that might be helpful. https://www.motherlessdaughtersministry.com/getting-neon-year/
We are here to help and support you on each step of your journey.

Thank you for this site- as it is mother’s day – thoughts of her always are more apparent at this time- I lost her in 1964 – she had a stroke and died one week later – I was 12 and I had a 17 yr old & 5 year old brother- there was no grief counseling at that time- things just continued- looking back and reading stories of others makes me feel I was fortunate in many ways. My Dad understood my sadness & we kept a strong relationship with my moms family. My childhood was normal & enjoyed school- was a majorette, prom queen, class President & did well in school- I think I accomplished these things to make my mom proud of me- I went on to college and eventually got a PhD & have had a wonderful career teaching in universities overseas. I guess I followed my mom; she graduated From college & was in the WAC in Europe during ww2. I was not always wise in relationships but have been a stable one with a good man for over 20 years- I believe the key to coping was a wonderful dad who loved me even when was rebellious as a teenager- I lost him in 2003- he was 89. It’s good to have this opportunity to share – it’s a sad club to belong to and I’ve missed my mom my whole life- thank you for letting me share these thoughts

Mary thank you so much for sharing. This mother’s day please celebrate your father for the mothering he did. One of the most important things a caretaker can do after the loss of a mother is to make it safe for her to grieve and it sounds like that is what he did. You sound like a wonderfully accomplished woman and must be a blessing to the learners that you have had the privilege to help. So glad our site gives you comfort and peace. Where are you located? Always remember we are a click away whenever you need us. Don’t be a stranger. Visit us on our Facebook site also, Motherless Daughters Ministry.

I’m so appreciative of your prompt and empathetic reply- thank you. I did as you suggested and acknowledged my dad and from now on will consider Mother’s Day as Parents day. As a result, I reached out to friends who are single parents and admired them for raising their children; “paying it forward.” What a wonderful resource you are providing for those of us who experienced mother loss.

Oh Mary, I am so glad we could help. I love your idea about parents day for motherless daughters whose fathers supported them. I am going to remember and share that with others. Thanks! And thanks for your kind words about the ministry. This is why we exist — to serve you. And now you are ministering to others. That is what I always say, when you come to this ministry for your own healing, you are charged to go out and pay it forward by ministering to others. You are GREAT! Also wanted to make sure you saw that we did a facebook live event for Mother’s day. Go to https://www.facebook.com/Motherlessdaughtersministry/videos/531156000904634/ The feedback we got is that it was helpful. Stay in touch! And keep serving others!

I lost my mom at age 12. I knew she was sick, in the hospital but didn’t know why. My dad and mom knew she had 1 1/2 yrs to live and decided to not tell us 3 kids. I was sent home from school,bc I was needed, my mom was suppose to come home that day from hospital,so I thought good I can help mom. As soon as I walked thru gate of front yard my dad came to me and said ur mom died today. My relatives were there,my grandma told me to quit my bawling, I was in shock. After funeral my dad moved myself and him to r hometown iowa,sister got married age 15,brother was 17 eventually joined Marines. Then I endured beatings, sexualabuse from my dad, unbelievable events happened and I was placed in foster care at age 14. My mom had breast cancer, it had spread to her brain. That was 1977, 45 yrs ago. My mom was 38 yrs old when she died. My niece found out at age 37 she has neg 3 breast cancer, it is aggressively spreading she turned 38 in sept. I am beyond myself,I am a mess. My doctor explained I was re living my mom’s trauma I experienced watching my niece go thru the cancer, the pain,treatments,mastectomy, chemo etc.etc. My mom was the most beautiful, caring,loving,never cursed,never drank or smoked,the best cook. So,yeah,I am a total mess and no the pain never goes away.

I am so sorry for all of the losses you have endured. Mother loss is never one and done. You will get triggered and relive your mother loss. This is what you have done with your niece. There is a blog I wrote that may be of help called “Will the Pain Ever Go Away?” that may be of some help. Always know we will support you in any way we can. Just reach out to us. We are a click away.

I lost my mom when I was 6 years old, my sister was 3, my brothers were 13 and 16. I was never close to my dad, I am not sure why, I know my younger sister took up a lot of his time. I mean she was only a baby really, so I do understand the attention was focused more on her. I did have my grandma who only lived a block from us. This was back in 1966 so things were not talked about. I don’t think I have ever really grieved the loss of my mother. I can look back now and see that I was just trying to survive while growing up. I have always been kind of a loner, even my brother who I am the closest with said that! But it seems like after my mom died the family just kind of came unglued, if that makes sense? We have never really been close, my siblings even though I do miss them, and I am sure they could have helped me to have gotten through the loss. We also had an Aunt and Uncle that we were close to. They would take my sister and I every Friday night while my dad worked. But it really isn’t the same as having a mom. As I get older, I think is when I feel her loss more. I need someone to go to and talk through things at different stages of my life which I feel like I do not and did not have my whole life! I have one son, which I don’t think I was a very good Mom myself, but I think that is because I didn’t have a mom myself and just did not know how to be a mother. I have a lot of regrets with my son in raising him…but I did marry a good man who took on the role of Father for my son. I married but was only married for 5 years and that is when I had my son. My husband now is really who raised my son…thank goodness my son had a man in his life growing up.

Thank you for sharing your heart with us. No one person can replace a mother. Others can fill in some of the roles and help but the longing of a daughter for her mother never goes away. It just changes as we age and looks different. When we experience loss at an early age we have no role models to know how to do things. We fly by the seat of our pants and do the best we know how to do. Give yourself some positive affirmations.

Thank you Mary for replying to my email. You sure are correct when you say that myself personally do not know how to do a lot of things. I feel like I am socially challenged or challenged in so many ways. I never had a mother to go to, to ask questions or to know what “normal” is when it comes to life problems! Thank you again for your replying to my message, I appreciate it! Lori

You are welcome. It may or may not be comforting but there are others who share your words and experiences.

Hello everyone. I have been reading part of the comments because I was looking a place like this one with people who have experienced the same like I did. I lost my mom when I was 6 years old, I’m the youngest but I have 3 sisters who were 11, 14 and 18 by that time. It has been very hard to grow without her. I was very close to my mom more than I was with my father. My father was with me but emotionally he wasn’t, my sisters tried to take care and support me, now I’m professional and I have achieved many things but sometimes I feel broken and alone. When I want to talk about this with my sisters they act like I don’t have to feel like that, it seems like they just judge me and they always say I have to be happy, that’s why I don’t talk with them anymore about this. Thank you for making me feel that I am not the only one who feels in this way.

Everyone walks the grief journey differently. Your sisters are doing or not doing it their way. It is so common to hear your father like many other fathers was physically present but emotionally absent. He probably had no clue how to nurture and care for his daughters. Just know you are not alone. We are always here to support you. We get it.

I’m Ellen and my mom died in 1960 just before my tenth birthday.
She died of leukemia which I found out years later. She was sick for less than a month. We lived in Venezuela due to my dad’s job. But my mom died in the hospital in NYC where my dad took her for treatment.
Her funeral was in New York and my older brother and I did not attend.
My dad was a taciturn man and NEVER discussed her illness or death with us. He married within 1.5 years of her death. My stepmother was not demonstrative with me, she just provided care, not love.
I hated Mothers Day until I was the one celebrated.
I had a break thru thought today and that is that due to my mother’s death which is the WORST thing to happen to a young girl, I have not felt strong emotions either positive or negative because I have felt the strongest emotion as a child when she died and her death and life was not mentioned again in my family. I spoke some with my brother and once with my grandfather who lived in New York and I saw every few years. There was no sense of closure for me. I am 74 years old now.

Thank you Ellen for your testimony to the lifelong effects of mother loss. You may be 74 but when you think about your loss, I suspect you are propelled back to the 10 year old who never really got to grieve the loss of her mother. Doesn’t make any difference how old you are and were. The scars are still there. Not speaking of her loss is the way many handle this. This does not support the grieving that a 10 year old needs. They did not know what to do and how to allow you to grieve. Not many do. But here you are at 74 telling others that loss is a journey. Thank you for sharing.

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