Bereaved Children

Children are often referred to as the ‘forgotten mourners’ because adults believe they are too young to understand or to go to the funeral. However, children are no different to adults when it comes to bereavement: there is no right or wrong way to grieve and every child will respond differently.

Rosedale is passionate about helping all those who have been bereaved and have a number of resources available to help children and young people including a wide selection of books suitable for very young children through to adults. There are books aimed at explaining death and funerals to very young children who are often confused by words such as ‘gone to sleep’ or ‘passed away’, books for adults on how to support children who have lost a loved one, books for teenagers trying to manage their emotions at what is already a very difficult time and books for adults who are grieving. They can support people who have been bereaved by suicide, accident, illness or old age.

We also have a soft and cuddly memory bear which can hold special keepsakes and a memory box to hold larger keepsakes such as letters and photographs.  They both can help to remind the child of their loved one and happy memories shared.

We also created a video called What Happens at a Funeral which shows what happens when the funeral director arrives to bring someone into their care, the arrangements at a funeral home, a viewing in a chapel of rest and an example of a burial and cremation. It’s particularly helpful for those who have never been to a funeral before and are unsure of what to expect.

We can also sign post to appropriate organisations that could provide additional support such as Nelson’s Journey, Nature and Nurture Therapeutic Services and Cruse as well as offering to speak to a child’s school to see if they need any additional support or training to help a child who is bereaved.

We are here every step of the way to support you, your family and loved ones on how to talk to children about death. We believe that being honest about a death in the family with a child is important and to encourage the child to talk about the person who has died.

For further information and guidance, please visit Bereaved Children