How to Help a Child Grieve the Loss of a Loved One Effectively

August 16, 2021
Kids often have a tough time grieving the loss of a loved one. It’s why parents should consider bringing them along to funeral homes. Here are some more tips that’ll help a child cope with death.

It’s very difficult for most adults to process the death of a loved one and grieve their loss effectively. So you can only imagine how challenging it can be for kids to do it. If you recently lost a family member and you want to make sure that your child is able to grieve their death, you’re going to want to take certain steps. From sitting down with them to talk about death to bringing them to funeral services at one of your local funeral homes in Oak Grove, MO , there are so many things you can do to help your child. Find out about them below.
 

Start by telling your child that your loved one has died. 

The first thing that you’re going to want to do when a loved one dies is sit with your child and tell them about it. You might be tempted to beat around the bush when you do it, but you should be as direct and straightforward with them as you can be. Let them know that their relative has died and explain to them what exactly death is and what it will mean for them. This is usually the toughest part of the process for many parents since it involves sharing information with their kids that often leaves them in tears or, at the very least, feeling very sad. 
 

Encourage your child to express their emotions as best they can. 

Some kids will begin to cry right after hearing about a loved one’s death. This might break your heart as a parent, but it’s actually great for them to shed a few tears. It’ll get the grieving process off to a strong start. If, however, your child doesn’t cry or show much emotion after learning about a loved one’s death, you’re going to want to try to push them to express their emotions. You don’t want them to bottle these emotions up since that could make it tough for them to grieve later on without opening up old wounds. 
 

Offer to bring your child with you to your loved one’s funeral services. 

If your child is old enough—and well-behaved enough—you might want to consider taking them with you when you attend Oak Grove, MO funeral services for your loved one. Prior to doing it, though, you should give them some sense of what they can expect while at a funeral home. If you don’t do this, they could be completely caught off-guard by everything that is going on, and it could set them back in terms of grieving. 
 

Consider obtaining counseling for your child as they set out to mourn your loved one’s loss. 

If you’re having an especially hard time helping a child to grieve a loved one’s loss, you might need to call on the professionals for help. There are grief counselors who specialize in working with kids that might be able to lend a hand to you. They can speak with your child about your loved one’s death and get them to open up about it. They can also provide you with some techniques that you can use to continue to talk to your child about the loss of your loved one. It’ll put you both on the right path as you set out to go through the grieving process. 
 

Are you struggling to help your child grieve a loved one’s death? Speaks Chapels might be able to assist you with this when you make Oak Grove, MO funeral arrangements for your loved one through us. We can discuss grief counseling options with you and assist your entire family during your dark days. Reach out to us for more information on how we can help you. 

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