Children Attending Memorials
When there has been a loss in the family and your child is struggling with that loss, it can be a good idea to have them attend the memorial or funeral service. This can be beneficial to their mental state and to allow them to get the catharsis they need to start healing. You may not know what to do or what to expect when taking a child to a memorial, so providers of cremation services in Schenectady, NY have some tips that can help you and your family do this.
One of the first things that you need to do is ask the child if they want to attend. You never want to force a child to go to a memorial or funeral if they do not want to. The best way of asking them this is by explaining what the memorial or funeral will be like and then giving them the choice of going or not. You need to be clear on what this means so that the child can have a good idea on whether or not they want to go.
It can also be helpful to have a funeral home director or a cremations provider speak with the child. They have experience with this kind of thing and they will know how to best answer any questions that the child might have. The funeral home director can also offer to give them a tour of the location, showing them where the funeral or memorial will take place. This can reduce a lot of fears and anxieties that the child might have.
On the day of the service, you want to make sure that the child eats and that they are not too stressed. You want to give them another chance to go or not, so be sure to ask this. Children can get upset and have trouble on the day of the actual service, so by reassuring them that they do not have to go if they do not want to, you can reduce some of this stress.
If you see that the child is getting upset during the service, you want to take them outside or into another room where they can sit for a while. Offer comforting words and do not force them to go back to the service if they do not want to. The last thing you want to do is upset them more than they already are.
These are all important things that you need to be aware of when planning having a child attend a funeral or memorial service. You want this to be a healing experience for them, not something that they have to be worried about. Let them know that they have the option of attending or not, and include the funeral home director in the plans so that they can offer answers to questions the child may have. You can learn more about this by reaching out to a Schenectady, NY cremation service provider like us at McVeigh Funeral Home, Inc. Give us a call right now to learn more.
