Children and Funerals: That’s a Tough Topic

Written By Jill S. Cohen, Family Grief Counselor
should-children-attend-viewings-and-funerals.jpeg

In my work with grieving children, the question always arises, “Should my child(ren) attend the funeral?”

Or afterwards, the question becomes, “Was I right or wrong to have decided to let the child attend or not attend the funeral?”

Here’s the good news: There really is no right or wrong. Everyone does it differently and just hopes it works out for the kids. Much of it depends upon the maturity of the child, the relationship to the deceased, the type of funeral, the amount of support surrounding the family and input from the child.

children-and-funerals.jpeg

Grief Strategy Calls

For brainstorming questions like this, I actually offer a service called Grief Strategy Calls, in which, during a phone conference call, I help families strategize these kinds of situations, pertaining to children, death, bereavement and similar topics. It’s a good way for parents and caregivers to get some expert guidance, outside support, when they find themselves in the middle of a difficult decision-making time.

The HUFF POST recently wrote an article on the subject of children attending funerals, and I was interviewed and quoted. Check out this article.

Huffington-Post logo.png

Grief is hard. I am here to help.

Jill S. Cohen, Family Grief Counselor
Previous

Mealtime for a Widow or Widower: Why It’s Hard, and How to Work Through It
Next

Books, Books, and More Grief Books