Category: Children

Whether or not children should attend memorial services will depend upon the children and the specific circumstances, but in general attending memorial services can be a very good thing for children. Children who do not want to attend should not be forced to do so, but explaining about the service and what will happen there… Continue reading Children and Memorial Services

Most children are unfamiliar with the cremation, so the death of a friend or relative which results in cremation may be a very confusing time for them. Children whose lives will be touched by cremation will probably require some information to understand the decision and process. Explaining death to children, explaining cremation to children and… Continue reading Children and Cremation

Deciding whether or not a child should attend a funeral can be a very hard and sometimes even distressing choice. Adults often waver between wanting to allow a child to say goodbye, but not knowing if a child is emotionally ready for the event itself. Unfortunately, there is no correct answer to this question. Whether… Continue reading Questionnaire: Should a Child Attend a Funeral?

For a teen diagnosed with terminal illnesses, life takes a sharp turn and everything they once knew as normal is replaced with uncertainty. Ignoring this change in circumstances, or refusing to recognise the parts that are frightening, does not help anyone involved come to terms with a teen s terminal illness. Instead, those interested in… Continue reading Helping Teens Face Terminal Illness

Until it becomes a part of their lives very few children are familiar with the idea of terminal illness. When it does become a part of their lives most children need a good deal of information and support to process what terminal illness means and how it will affect their lives. Discussing a particular illness… Continue reading Talking to Children About Terminal Illness

Teenagers are not young children, they understand that death is a fact of life. Teens will have come across the concept of death in music, movies, books, religious training, family discussions and more. When a death does occur, teens generally do not need the same talks as younger children about where the deceased went and… Continue reading Talking to Teens About Death

Children, and their parents, often worry that they will forget things about loved ones who have died. But after a death there are many ways that children and families can remember loved ones. Discussing the loved one after death, creating a scrapbook of a loved one, celebrating a loved one s birthday and observing the… Continue reading Helping Children Remember Loved Ones

Though they may not show it in the same way, children may grieve just as intensely as adults when they suffer a loss in their lives. There are ways that adults can help children cope with grief, and grief counselling for children may be an option. There are also a number of support organisations to… Continue reading Children and Grief Counselling