Speaking With a Child About a Death

When you lose a loved one and you have a child, it can be tough to let them know what has happened. It is essential that you do so, however, so it can be crucial that you take the time to think about how to have this conversation. If you are nervous and worried and you do not want to struggle doing this, there are some things that you can do to get through this conversation. Here are the things that directors of funeral homes in Freedom, PA want you to know.

You want to be honest with what you say to your child. For lots of parents it can be tempting to try and make the news of the death less painful by using different phrasings and euphemisms, but that is not something that you want to do. You want to be as honest as possible with your child so that they understand what has happened. Using certain terms, like “passed away”, can confuse children, so try to avoid that.

Another thing to remember is to allow your child to ask questions. It is likely that they will have them and they deserve honest ones. If you are not sure about an answer, you will want to let them know that and also ensure them that you will do your best to find the answer. This can make a difference for your child.

Tell your child what you are also going through and that you are feeling the same grief they are. This is something that can be important. Your child may be afraid of telling you what they are feeling because they do not want to upset you. By sharing what you are feeling, you can let the child know that they can share with you what they are going through, as well.

You also want to give them the choice of going to the service. If your child is old enough to go, give them the chance to do so. Never force your child to attend if they do not want to and also remember to avoid forbidding them to go, either. Attending a service can be as helpful for a child as for an adult, so keep that in mind.

As you start getting ready to let your child know about a death, you want to remember all of these things. You want to take the time to think carefully about what you tell your child and you want to be sure that you use clear language. Allow them to ask questions and give them the choice of attending the service of the person who died. If you want to know more about all of this, you can reach out to a Freedom, PA funeral home like us. Our team is ready to help you with any of the questions you may have about this. You can give us a call right now or you can stop by one of our locations today to learn more.