Is it Appropriate for Very Young Children to Attend Their Parent's Funeral?

A funeral is an established tradition in all societies around the world. Family members and friends can get to say "goodbye" to the deceased and watch as their body is interred into the ground or alternative arrangements are made with regard to cremated remains. But is it appropriate for very young children to attend their parent's funeral? This article will look into the advantages and disadvantages of allowing very young children to attend their parent's funeral.

Confusion

The loss of a parent is always a devastating and tremendous blow, whether you are young or old, and regardless of whether you were close to your parent or not. This sense of loss is often accompanied by confusion and unending questions. Very young children who saw their father in seemingly good health only three days prior to his death may become confused when their mother tells them that daddy was so ill that he won't be coming home anymore. Surviving relatives, such as widows, may decide to allow their children to attend their parent's funeral so that they can have tangible evidence to provide for them that this is more than just a brief stint in hospital. Death is more final and attending the funeral can help to drive that point home more successfully.

Emotional Distress

Not all surviving widows and widowers want their very young children to attend their parent's funeral for a number of reasons. Some decide that the experience will be too much for their children to handle. They may also want to avoid having to answer awkward questions as they stand by the graveside about where their parent is and why he or she did not return home from hospital. After all, surviving spouses will be going through an extremely difficult time themselves. Even their children's well founded curiosity can be too much to cope with so soon after their spouse's death. For this reason, some families choose to keep very young children away from the funeral.

Saying Goodbye