How To Include A Child In The Cremation Service Of A Loved One
Posted on: 23 May 2016
Every parent wants to protect their children from the pain of the world, but the sad truth is that death touches the life of nearly every child sooner or later. If you need to include a child in the cremation service of a loved one, this is a burden that you don't have to face alone. There are some ways that you can include a child in the service without overwhelming the child or making other guests uncomfortable.
A Goodbye Kiss
You can involve a child in a simple, beautiful way by empowering them to perform their own goodbye ritual. Start by gathering rose petals before the cremation service. Have all those who are closest to the deceased kiss one of the rose petals, then place it is a cloth pouch.
The child should start and end this process by kissing a rose petal and placing it in the pouch at the start and finish. Then, as part of the ceremony, the child may spread the rose petals in the place where the loved one will rest. That allows the child to leave something lovely behind, yet not have the stress of spreading actual remains during the ceremony.
Postcard Prayer
Another way to involve the child in a cremation service is to help the little one write a short prayer on a postcard. It can be a prayer directly to the deceased or to God about the person. By having the child write it on a postcard, it takes away the pressure to write a longer note and allows them to easily carry the prayer to read on the day of the service.
Three-Sentence Share
If the child wants to share a memory of the loved one when other guests are sharing memories, they should be allowed to do so. However, it's important to make this as stress-free on the child as possible. One way of doing this is suggesting a three-sentence share.
The child can write three easily memorized sentences, practice saying them, and also carry a notecard with the sentences on the day of the cremation service. Keeping it short and sweet should empower the child.
Finally, keep in mind that including children in the cremation service is manageable. Most kids are resilient and eager to honor those they've loved. Be sure to heap praise on them after their participation and offer counseling to any child facing the death of a loved one.
For cremation services, contact a company such as Lisa Scott Funeral Home.
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