Talking to Children About Loss Can Feel Challenging, so here are a Few Important Considerations

While loss can feel like a complicated experience, explaining it to a child is critical in helping them develop a healthy understanding of it. This could be completed before or after the services at one of the funeral homes in Garden Grove, CA, and it may be a continuous process as they age. Giving them a better understanding of death can support healthy grief and prepare them for when they do experience other losses, so here are just a few recommendations.

Why Talk to Children About Death?

In most cases, individuals will experience a loss before they become adults, which can be from the loss of a pet, grandparent, or parent as some of the most common ones. Talking to the child can help them process and understand the inevitability of death and learn to find healthy coping mechanisms for the grief while simultaneously experiencing anxiety or fear.

Be Honest and Straightforward

You also want to use direct and clear language when speaking to children about loss. And as the child begins to understand the concept, if you don’t know the answer, be honest and let them know you don’t have one, but you will try to find one, or it can be an opportunity for them to learn to sit with not having an answer.

Use Appropriate Phrases and Words

In addition, using phrases and words can help the child understand the finality of death. There may be times when you will want to soften the impact by using a language that feels less abrasive, but this could lead to more confusion instead of just being upfront about what death is.

Validate Their Experience

Whatever response your child gives, be sure to validate it, especially with younger children. How you react to their response will help them understand who they can trust, especially with their feelings and thoughts. And if your child cries, offer them comfort and let them know that it’s okay to have these feelings, especially when you’re sad.

Share Your Feelings

Children will model their behaviors and emotional reactions based on the adults around them. This helps them develop an understanding of what isn’t and is allowed based on what they’re hearing and seeing, so openly sharing your feelings that it’s okay to feel grief and talk about death is encouraged.

Leave the Conversation Open to Questions

Explaining death to a child should be an ongoing experience that will change based on the children’s understanding of death. In many cases, the child may need time to process what they’ve heard before being able to find questions to ask, so if they do have a question, be open to it when it arises.

Our Team is Here to Offer You Exceptional Services

Talking to your child about death can feel like a challenging experience, but it can make the process easier for them, and they experience more losses throughout their life. Finding the proper support is crucial, and if you’re researching funeral homes in Garden Grove, CA, our team is here to help you. We offer thoughtful and exceptional services, so contact us today for more information.