Seeing your child dealing with the loss of a loved one can leave you feeling helpless and unsure of how to offer them the help they need. One option that people consider but that you may not be sure about is to take your child to the funeral or memorial service. This can help the child get closure and say goodbye to the person they lost. If that is something you are considering but are not sure about, providers of cremation services in Midlothian, VA want you to consider a few things.
If your child was very close to the person they lost, then it can be beneficial for them to attend the service. That is something that you certainly want to consider. The closer the person was, the more the death will affect your child, as it would an adult, and you want to be able to offer them the chance to say goodbye. Most of the time, your child may even ask you to go to the service themselves.
You have to pay attention to the reaction your child has when you let them know of the death. This can give you a gauge of how much they understand. If you see that they are still confused about death and are not entirely certain what it means, they are probably not ready to go to the funeral or memorial service. This can happen with children who are very young. If they go to the service, they may end up more confused than anything else. By gauging their understanding of what death is, you can get a good sense if they are ready to go to the service.
If you child wants to go to the service, you need to let them do so. You never want to forbid them from doing that, since that can make things worse. The opposite is true, as well. If your child does not want to attend the service, the worst thing that you can do is force them to do so. This will do more harm than good. Be sure to ask them one more time on the day of the service, in case they have changed their minds but are not sure if they can tell you so.
These are some of the most important considerations you have to have when deciding if your child is ready to go to a funeral or memorial service. You always want to consider whether your child wants to go, how close they were to the person, and even how much they comprehend of what death means. All of these things will have an impact on your choice. If you still have questions about this, you can turn to a Midlothian, VA cremation service provider like us at Morrissett Funeral and Cremation Service. We have years of experience and we are here to help you find the exact options you need for your loved ones. Give us a call right now or visit us today.