THE family of Shannon Matthews is being urged to express its grief in the hope it will encourage the nine-year-old to return home.
Hiding feelings will only make matters worse, said Ross Miller, head of communications at charity Missing People.
It is very rare for someone so young to go missing and the vast majority of people are found again within 72 hours, he added.
"Ne
ws that a friend or family member is missing comes as a shock," he said. "Nothing can prepare anyone for this.
"Thinking about the situation will be hard. Parents may believe that life will never be the same again. We encourage families of the missing to not pretend that they don't have feelings. It is important to speak about them."
Each year an estimated 100,000 children under 16 runaway from home or care overnight in the UK, according to Missing People.
Some stay away from home without permission, without intending to leave for good.
Of those young people who were unintentionally missing, most had lost touch with a parent after a family break up.
Shannon's parents Karen Matthews and Leon Rose, who now lives in Huddersfield, separated some years ago.
Shortly before she vanished Shannon is believed to have written on her bedroom wall that she wanted to go live with her dad. They have not seen each other since last summer.
Any sightings of Shannon can be reported to Missing People on 0500 700 700, or at seen some one@missing people.org.uk Shannon can contact the Runaway helpline on 0808 800 7070.
