Important Advice About Proper Etiquette For A Baby's Funeral
Posted on: 16 June 2016
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If your friend or loved one has recently had a baby pass away, it can be challenging to know what you can do to make things easier on the family in the days surrounding the funeral. Although it is rarely easy to attend a funeral for someone you know, the emotional issues relating the death of a baby make the entire situation even more difficult to get through. If you are unsure about the proper etiquette for attending a baby's funeral and you would like to minimize the burdens of the grieving parents as much as possible, the following advice will be very helpful.
#1-Don't Plan To Bring Your Own Young Child To The Funeral, Viewing or Memorial Service Without Asking
It is important to note that regardless of how close you are or are not to the immediate family of the deceased baby, seeing your healthy and active child at the funeral or viewing of their own little one could be an awful experience. Instead, plan to arrange a babysitter for your child whenever possible, unless you are specifically told that bring your little one will not be a problem.
In addition, you may be able to work with other parents of young children to find a temporary child care provider for all of the children of other people who are attending. Doing so can be particularly helpful if you know that many of the people attending the funeral will be from out of town and therefore, might have more limited options when making arrangements for child care.
#2--Help The Family In Unique Ways
The loss of a child is often so overwhelming that simply getting through the day can seem like an impossible task. While people will often drop off food and flowers, it is easy to forget about other important things that need to be done. Instead of bringing over a casserole, ask about other ways you can help.
For instance, if there are other children in the home, offer to take them somewhere they would enjoy before or after the funeral. Children are known to grieve in different ways than adults and it is not unusual for them to feel guilty for doing so. Some kids want to talk about their feelings and others want to return to their normal schedule. It is important for children to know that it is okay to enjoy themselves, even if it is a few minutes to get a new book or a quick meal at a fast-food restaurant with a playground. The other side to that is that parents are likely to appreciate the opportunity to spend some time alone at this challenging time.
Other options include taking care of laundry needs for the family, including dry cleaning rarely-worn outfits for the funeral and grocery shopping. Even offering to take care of pets or finding hotel rooms for out-of-town guests can be very helpful. It is likely that making funeral arrangements and grieving for the baby is all that the parents can handle right then and even the little things can seem overwhelming. Therefore, your assistance with the little things could be exactly what they need.
In conclusion, the death of a baby or young child is undoubtedly one of the most difficult events that a person will ever endure. If you care for someone who has recently experienced that horrific loss, it is a good idea to apply the tips provided above when attending the funeral. To learn more, contact a funeral home like Fletcher Funeral Home PA.