Including Children and Young People

How can children and young people feel included within their loved one’s funeral?

Due to my background and experience of working with children & young people – and as a Mother, I believe children and young people grieve in their own way, and should be supported individually and given the option to attend their loved one’s funeral.

I can:

• Arrange to meet a child prior to introduce myself, and talk about their loved one’s service and facilitate a time for them to ask me questions.
• Hear their memories and ideas and include them.
• Perhaps just 2-3 minutes before a service I can meet with them, and give them a ‘VIP’ tour of the venue to orientate themselves before the service starts.
• If the crem curtains are closing your child is welcome to press the button prior to see the curtains move – even press the button themselves during the committal moment.
• Create a ‘grief gift bag’ to give them to walk away with.
• Involve them practically, they may want to read something out.
• Represent them visually through a photograph, teddy or something they have created for their loved one.

For example: I have designed a bouquet of flowers colouring sheet that can be coloured in, include a message, and then folded into a 3D paper bouquet of flowers to be put on display or kept in a memory box.

This colouring tool could be used to help set up a guardian or teacher with a child to colour and process their grief.