It can be an extremely difficult time for any family to experience the passing away of a child, especially if they’re leaving behind their siblings who grew up close with them. Similarly, it can be a tough topic to open up to your children, regardless of whether they’re still quite young or in their teenage years.
Sibling loss is a complicated situation that can be difficult to talk about to bereaved brothers or sisters, especially since it’s not as common as you think. One way to help guide you through such a troubling time is to join a support group to help you and your family cope better.
While different people go through various ways of grieving for a lost loved one, you must remain by their side no matter what and carry the pain together. Keep reading below to learn the right ways to let your children know about the passing of their sibling.
Be as Honest at Telling Them as Possible
If your children are still young, they may have a hard time understanding death and never being able to see their sibling again. While death remains a sensitive topic, you have to do your best to explain to them and choose your words, phrases, and terms carefully to avoid confusion.
When you try to use a metaphor to explain sibling loss to a child, they might end up taking it literally that you end up giving them a hard time accepting the truth behind what you’re saying. Instead of struggling to tell them gently, stick to facts and maintain a compassionate tone to prevent prolonging the grief they have to express one way or another.
Let Your Child Lead the Conversation
While it can be daunting to figure out how to break down the news of a sibling’s death to your child, it may give you a less challenging time if you took it from their point of view. The moment you inform them of the passing of their brother or sister, you’ve just removed the band-aid and can only wait for them to respond no matter how they feel like doing so.
Grieving can happen in different forms. Some people will cry every day, while others will not show any sign of emotion—but that doesn’t mean they don’t care. If you see your child accepting the loss differently, crying one moment and acting okay the next, the most you can do is be there for them without expecting them to open up to you.
Learn to Include Them in Funeral Plans
When it comes down to the funeral preparations, you may think to handle all the serious stuff and leave your children out of it because it shouldn’t concern them anymore. Contrary to that popular notion, they must continue to be part of it, including being present on the day of the funeral.
It’s helpful to have your children learn about the funeral services to give them the chance to share their most precious memories with their departed sibling with the people attending. Other than that, if you have any family traditions you want to initiate to celebrate the bereaved sibling, you should go ahead and address your children’s wishes.
Conclusion
Talking about a loved one’s death is always one of the most trying moments in a person’s life, especially if there are children that need to be involved in the conversation. It’s essential to make choices that will be for the benefit of the entire family. When talking about sibling loss, you have to be honest to your children, let them lead the conversation, and include them in the funeral plans so that you can grieve together as a family and maintain all the support you need to get through the loss.
Are you looking for a funeral home in Jacksonville to take care of your departed loved one? Evergreen JAX is a cemetery that offers funeral home and crematory services. We guarantee to handle all the arrangements in one convenient location. Get in touch with us today to learn more information.
