Dealing With The Passing Of A Loved One? How To Discuss Cremation With Your Younger Children

by Brent Woods

If one of your parents has recently passed away, and they had decided on cremation, your younger children may have questions. Most children have some type of experience with funerals. However, that might not be the case with cremations. If this will be the first experience your children have with cremation, you need to be prepared to talk them through the process. Here are four steps to help you talk to your children about cremation.

Be Prepared for the Discussion

When it comes to talking to your children about cremation, it's important that you be prepared for the discussion. To ensure that, it's best that you do your own research before you sit down with your children. You should know enough about the process to adequately answer any questions that your children may have about the process, including how cremation occurs and what happens to the remains.

Consult With a Family Counselor

If you're not sure how to start your discussion about cremation, or you're worried about how your children will take it, be sure to consult with a family counselor. Most funeral homes and crematoriums have counselors on hand to provide information and counseling assistance. These counselors are a valuable asset when discussing cremation with children – or any other family members that are concerned about the cremation process.

Consider Each Individual Child

If you're going to discuss cremation with your children, be sure to consider each of their individual needs. This is particularly important when talking to children of differing maturity levels. If there are large gaps in the ages of your children, or they have vastly different maturity levels, you should consider talking to each one individually. That way, you don't talk above or below their ability to understand the information they're receiving. It's also a good idea to gather as a family when it's time to discuss cremation with your children.

Encourage Questions

When discussing cremation with your children, be sure to encourage questions. Your children may have a lot of questions about the process. The best thing you can do is encourage them to ask as many questions as they feel comfortable with. It's also important that you maintain an open line of communication with your children. That way, they feel comfortable coming to you when a question does arise.

If it's time to talk to your children about cremation, the information provided here will help you prepare.


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