Every child is different, and as they grow, they experience milestones at varied paces. Therefore, when a loved one passes away, you may not know if your son or daughter is ready to attend the funeral service. Before making a decision, use the following guide to determine how to move forward.

How to Determine if They’re Ready

First, you’ll want to consider whether your child is capable of attending a funeral. For example, if they’re used to quietly sitting through church services or other ceremonies, you can trust that they’ll fit in well amongst other attendees.

However, if they’re still working with a short attention span and need crayons or electronics in such situations, you may want to leave them with a babysitter. Generally, parents can start considering bringing children to funerals when they’re in first grade, or around six or seven years old.

On the other hand, if the child was closely related to the deceased, their age or maturity level might not matter. For example, if the funeral service is for a parent, sibling, or even a grandparent who they spent plenty of time with, you should consider bringing the child regardless of their age. Even though they might not remember the service or realize what’s going on, they’ll take comfort knowing they were present later in life. 

How to Give Them a Positive Experience 

If you’ve decided to include your child in the funeral service, you can always adapt their experience to meet their maturity level. For example, you can explain that the service is where friends and family get to honor their lost loved one and say their final goodbyes.

This may even provide your child some peace or closure if they’re wondering where their friend or family member went. Some children may even want to be involved by reading a poem or line of scripture during the service.

However, when it comes to a wake, especially those that include an open casket, you may want to leave your child at home. Viewing the body of a loved one can be frightening for some children. Similarly, watching a casket be lowered underground can be unsettling for children who don’t yet understand the concept of death. Therefore, you’ll want to restrict them to the more symbolic, less graphic aspects of the funeral. 

If you have more questions about funeral service etiquette or best practices, reach out to Cremation Service Of Western New York. This Rochester funeral home has been helping families and friends cope with the loss of loved ones since 1991, and they’re proud to remain family-owned and locally operated. From cremations and burials to memorials, they offer pre-planning and at-need services for you and your loved ones. To learn more about their offerings, visit the website. You can also call (585) 544-4500 to speak with a representative.