Death affects every member of a family. And it can be particularly challenging when a parent or family member must explain what has happened to a child.
The non-profit organization Hospice Net provides information and support to families facing end of life issues.
“Death is an inescapable fact of life,” the organization states. “We must deal with it and so must our children. If we are to help them, we must let them know it’s okay to talk about it.”
The American Psychological Association counsels that it’s important to be honest with children. “Don’t lie or tell half-truths,” it advises. “Provide age-appropriate information. Children are bright and sensitive. They will see through false information and will wonder why you don’t trust them with the truth.”
The Association also states that children learn by watching how you respond to the death of a loved one. Calmness and an honest approach to a child’s questions are a help to the child.
Hospice Net notes that “once death was an integral part of family life. People died at home surrounded by loved ones. Adults and children experienced death together, mourned together and comforted each other.”
But today death often takes place in hospitals or nursing homes. The living are isolated from the dying and death has taken on added mystery and fear for some, according to Hospice.
Children will experience life in different ways and the same is true with how they perceive death. Through its website, www.hospicenet.org, Hospice Net provides a set of guidelines that may help in talking about death and loss to a child.
Too, a child may have questions about the rituals surrounding death, such as a wake and funeral service. Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home and Cremation Services is another resource to consult to help provide answers for children.
For further information on services offered by the family and staff at Friedrich-Jones, visit the website at friedrichjones.com, or call for an appointment in Naperville at 630-355-0213 or Plainfield at 815-436-9221.
