Tips to Help Children and Youth Understand Death and Funeral Services | Trupoint Memorials Blog

Tips to Help Children and Youth Understand Death and Funeral Services

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By Staff Writer
Romi Hector
Edited by Romi Hector

Published April 6, 2022.

Woman placing consoling hand on crying child's knee

So, you are having a death in your family and as a parent, you must be looking for the right way to protect your child. Right? Some parents want to save their kids from the sorrow and the pain of the death and funeral. But to tell you, if you don’t include your children in the death or funeral ceremony, it could do more harm than you can ever imagine. In this post, we are going to learn a few tips for children and youth understand the concept of death and funeral services. So, it becomes easy for them to understand the rituals and handle pain and sorrow of the funeral.

Answer All Questions Before the Funeral

Your child is going through many questions inside his/her mind. So, it's better to answer all the questions about the ceremony and what has happened to them. When answering the questions, you need to keep it simple and ensure to avoid different terms that make them feel bad. Explain to them, when a person dies, they can’t feel cold, hot, breathe or think. The body simply stops working. Using difficult terms like death, passed away, simply confuse your child.

Tell Your Children What to Expect

Regardless of how the cremation will be conducted, prepare your child. Let your child experiences everything during the services. Tell them what they will see during the ceremony and all the rituals involved with it. Explain to them when your loved one will be placed into the box and moved to the crematory.

If your loved one is having an open coffin function, contact your Family Legacy Funeral Director to plan a private survey before the service. This will give adequate time for your youngster to make inquiries and recognize what's in store when seeing the perished. If your kid wishes to contact your loved one, show how by delicately brushing along the hand or hair.

For closed coffin functions, inquiries of fearing the dim might be asked, just remind your youngster they can never again end up frightened, frosty, or feel pain. Our burial service chiefs are available for assist clarification if necessary on why the coffin stays shut.

Create a Sense of Control and Choice

If your children don’t wish to attend a service, its’ perfectly fine. But you should encourage them to come along. To make it easier, you can schedule a meeting with a Family Legacy Funeral Director where the service takes place. This can help your child to develop the sense of familiarity with the place. Have an assigned relative or guardian who can take your tyke for a walk or far from the service if hey get overpowered. Display the choice of setting off to a companion's home, or even the chance to welcome their associates. This mutual experience will enable companions to conform to your kid's new standard, making it less unbalanced and less demanding to discuss later on.