There is almost nothing more saddening than the death of a child. To have one’s life extinguished before it truly began is the ultimate sadness. The family members of a deceased child are likely to have an even more difficult time with the passing, and they may need some assistance with funeral planning services.
If you are a family member or a close friend of someone who has lost their child, it is important to be there to offer grief support, as well as for practical matters in terms of planning the funeral.
Some religions call for a short time frame to arrange a funeral. If you are not dealing with that situation, make sure to take your time with the funeral. Allow the family time to go through the stages of grief and come to acceptance before going ahead with the funeral services.
It is important to not stay in the denial period for too long. Rather, encourage the parents and other children to discuss how they feel, to talk about the child and remember him or her in order to celebrate the life.
If the deceased child has siblings, it is important to allow them to feel a part of the ceremony. Give them roles and ask them to write letters or speeches to their deceased sibling, draw pictures or find gifts to go in the casket. Make sure you or another adult is there for them if it all becomes too much and the parents aren’t able to be there for them at the moment.
You will want to find a local funeral director to help you with this process. While there’s a lot that you can do, a funeral director will help take the strain off you by offering a sympathetic and professional hand.
Alex Gow Funerals has been helping families throughout Queensland create meaningful tributes to their loved ones since 1840. If you require assistance with funeral arrangements, please do not hesitate to contact us or call our Brisbane head office on 07 3073 4816. We also have an online pre-arrangement form you can fill out.