My father recently passed away suddenly. Now my 8 year old worries incessantly that if I get out of his sight that I may die and not come back. He has asked me to promise that we "go to heaven" together. I have assured him that I'm making no plans to go anywhere and that if I go somewhere I will be back because he is my most important responsibility. Unfortunately, none of this has eased his worried little mind and now his 6 year old brother is picking up on it and clings hysterically to me when I try to leave them for even a short period. How do I effectively parent them through this separation anxiety?

I have a handbook for dealing with children who have anxiety issues. It goes through all the types of anxiety, what brings it on and how to help children deal with it. I am just getting started on this with my son so I haven't read alot of it. Would you like me to see if there are any suggestions for helping your son to cope with this?