Inquest - what to tell children

[vvviola]

(Not in UK, so processes, timelines etc might be different).

My Dad died 2 years ago after complications from surgery, and general mismanagement of his case in the hospital. It has been a long wait but we will finally have the inquest next month. I will be going to represent the family (my DM doesn't feel able).

We've tried to keep as much of the discussion about this away from my DDs who are 11 and 7. The 11 yo was particularly close to her grandad and is still struggling with him being gone. But I suspect they will become aware as we get nearer to the date that "something" is happening. There is also the vague possibility that the inquest details might be picked up by the papers, and we are a small community, so there is the potential for something to be said in their hearing.

I'm also going to struggle a lot with the process over the next while, so they will probably see me upset.

Any suggestions on what, if anything, we should tell them?

I've never been in this option so here goes.

It's important they know in advance, so as not to be blindsided by gossip. Tell them that the inquest is a legal thing to ensure that everything that happened at the hospital was done well. Because it's legal it has to be public so there might be stuff in the newspaper. If they're asked questions about by neighbours it maybe tell them to say to ask you.

Without teeing them up too much about distortion of facts, say that sometimes newspapers don't always get it right, sometimes people don't read it right so if there's anything at all that they hear that bothers them, come to you.

Tell the school?

Position, not option.

You have to tell them.

I would present it as a legal process which looks into whether lessons can be learned from Grandad's death. To help the hospital improve their treatments.