Preparing Children For The Funeral Home

Funerals and memorial services can give you closure that you might need after a person passes away. They can also be a nice time to say a final goodbye and to show your support to other family members. But it can be hard to bring a child to funeral homes in Charleston, IL for a variety of reasons.

You might want to bring your child to the funeral home with you if they are a baby and too young to know what is going on. You might also want to bring them if they are a bit older and were close to the person who passed, like a grandparent or someone else they know and will miss. But if your child is old enough to be aware of what is happening, you need to prepare them for what will happen.

First, it’s a good idea to have a frank discussion about death. They need to understand that when a person dies, they don’t come back. That can be hard to say to a child, but if they think the person who passed on might visit or show up someday, it can be hard for them to move on. You need to be honest with them and use resources online that can help you with the conversation. Contact the funeral home for guidance as well, if you’d like.

Second, consider bringing your child to the funeral home in advance so they can see what it’s like and not have a fear of the unknown when the service day arrives. Plus, you can set up a time to talk to the funeral director so your child can ask questions that you might not be qualified to answer or don’t feel comfortable approaching. The funeral director can take you on a tour and frankly answer questions.

Third, you want to tell your child what you expect of them at the service. IF you attend church, you can liken it to that. They are to be quiet and not bother the people around them. You can take a book for them to read or something for them to color, perhaps, but they are not to make noise or interrupt the proceedings. You don’t want to disrupt anyone around you with what’s going on with your child.

And, of course, if your child knew the person who passed on, you want them to have the opportunity to grieve in whatever way their emotions guide them to do so. Be there to support and comfort them whenever they are ready to talk or cry.

If you need more help talking to children about funeral homes in Charleston, IL and the services they might be attending there, contact the professionals at Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home Ltd. by calling (217) 234-8828. We’re here to help support you in any way we can. You can bring your child in for a tour at 1200 Wabash Ave Mattoon, IL 61938 and we’ll help you and them get through this in any way we can.