Advice on Helping Young Children Deal with the Loss of a Sibling
Death is always difficult for young people to understand. When they lose a sibling, the confusion can be even more profound. If you’re the parent of a child who just lost a sibling, you’re likely struggling with how to balance your own grief with helping your other children with their loss. Remember that your funeral home can offer advice for dealing with grief. These suggestions will help you support your young children while they grieve for their sibling.
Be Honest
It is natural to want to shield your children from the pain that you are experiencing. You may also assume that they are unable to understand or handle the reality of the situation. While age may interfere with your child’s abilities to completely process their loss, trying to protect them from the fallout of the loss of their sibling won’t help. Grieve together as a family. Let them know that you are mourning the loss as well and their feelings of sadness, confusion, and even anger are normal. Use clear language about death instead of euphemisms. Doing otherwise will merely postpone their grief, not prevent it.
Involve Them in the Funeral
Being at the funeral itself may not be right for your very young children, but at the very least, involve them in the planning of the services. Be clear about what to expect, and talk to them about how they would like to be involved. It may make sense to enlist the help of a close friend or family member to assist you with childcare at the funeral.
Encourage Questions
Your children are likely to have many questions about losing their sibling. Be available to answer them as much as possible. Encourage conversation. Don’t be surprised if new questions surface well after the funeral, as your kids continue to grow and gain a deeper understanding of their loss.
Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland is pleased to offer a range of grief support services . Our funeral home can help your family find the assistance it needs. Call our funeral home in Oakland today at (510) 654-0123 to speak with one of our grief support counselors or funder planners.