Funerals and memorial service offer the kind of closure that you need after a death. This is good for everyone, including the children in your family. But how can you make sure that your child is ready to attend a service? Directors of funeral homes in La Porte, IN see this concern often, and so they have put together some tips on how to ensure your child is ready for this experience.
Before a child attends a service, they need to be aware of what death means. It is not an easy conversation to have, and many parents skirt around the truth. This can actually be detrimental, so you do not want to do it. The best thing that you can do for your child is be honest with them about what death means. There are lots of resources online that can help you with this kind of conversation, so do not hesitate to do some research into the topic.
It can be a great idea to bring your child to speak with the funeral home director. They are trained in answering questions about funeral services and what death is. This will also give the child the opportunity to see the location where the service will take place. Children fear the unknown, so by letting them see the location ahead of the service, they will feel more confident walking into the space. A funeral home director will be more than happy to offer a tour for the child to put them at ease.
A child is bound to have questions about death and about the service. The best thing that you can do is answer honestly. If you do not have the answers, then you need to let them know that instead of trying to make something up. You want your child to feel completely comfortable speaking with you about any aspect of death or of the service they will be part of and that can only happen if the child sees that you are willing to provide real answers.
Give them the option to attend or not. Many families force children to attend the service and this can have negative effects on the child who is coming to terms with the death. Ask your child if they want to be part of the service or if they would rather not be there.
These tips can be very helpful in explaining death and preparing a child for a funeral service. You can always enlist the help of the funeral home director, and even ask for a tour of the place so that the child can feel more at ease on the day of the service. Reach out to a La Porte, IN funeral home like us at Cutler Funeral Home and Cremation Center to learn more about all of this. We are here to make the process just a bit easier. Stop by our location at 2900 Monroe St La Porte, IN 46350 or give us a call now at (219) 362-2828.