Children and funerals

[lifeonthelane]

My lovely Grandpa has very recently died. We haven't yet decided whether our children (6 and 7) will attend the funeral. They are very welcome to - we are a close family and everyone has made it clear that it's up to myself and my husband whether or not we feel it's appropriate to them to the service (they will definitely attend the wake).

Does anyone have any suggestions about something we could watch to help them understand what a funeral entails - are there any children's TV programmes which address bereavement and show what to expect from a funeral, or any books about it?

This is the closest bereavement I've ever had, and the first one my children have experienced. Any advice welcomed.

I'm really sorry about your Grandpa 😔Check out WinstonsWish.org for good advice.

Books you could try: Frog and the Birdsong by Max Velthujis, Grandad's Island by Benji Davies (although a bit metaphorical- might be easier to tell it factually), The Funeral by Matt James, The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers or even Goodbye Mog by Judith Kerr.

Hope it goes OK; they will probably be more affected by seeing others' grief, so you may want to consider that. I think it's quite good for closure though; my kids were about 7 and 9 and came to their grandma's funeral. It helped them grieve as much as everyone else.

Thank you so much, really helpful advice ❤️