Helping a Child Who Has Lost a Friend

Published: May 9, 2022
by Paul R. Young Funeral Home

cremation services in Hamilton, OH

Losing a friend can be devastating for an adult and it can also be harrowing for a child. As a parent, you may not be sure about how to offer comfort to your grieving child. If that is the case, there are some tips that experts can offer. Here are the things that providers of cremation services in Hamilton, OH want you to know about.

It is crucial that you acknowledge the death. You may want to keep your child’s routine the same and try to pretend nothing has happened but that is not helpful to your child. You want to let them know that you understand they are grieving and that you are there for them. Your child needs to come to terms with the death and that requires that they acknowledge it. By doing the same, you are helping your child tremendously.

You also want to remember you need to let your child be sad. It can be very difficult for parents to see their child grieving and they may try to distract them. That is not healthy. They need to process the loss at their own speed and that means that you want to encourage them to grieve. You can also let them know that you are sad, as well, so they know it is perfectly normal to grieve.

Give your child the chance to attend the funeral or memorial service for their friend. A funeral can be just as helpful for a child as it is for an adult, letting them say goodbye and get closure. If your child does not want to go, however, you do not want to force them to do so. That can have a negative effect on their healing process.

cremation services in Hamilton, OH

If you see that your child is really struggling with the loss and they are not getting past it, it can be a good idea to reach out to an expert. There are grief counselors who work with children who are struggling with grief so that is something that you want to remember. It is essential that you consider whether your child could benefit from a bit of guidance.

If your child is grieving, it is important that you consider the many ways you can help them through the process. It can be important to acknowledge that loss and to ensure they know that grieving is completely normal and allowed. Be sure to give them the choice of whether they want to go to the service or not and think about whether they might need a bit of counseling. If you want to know more about the process of grieving and how it can present itself in children, you can turn to a Hamilton, OH cremation services provider. We are here to help you with all of the decisions you need to make after a death, so do contact us. Give us a call right now or visit us today to learn more.

 
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