Big questions surround exposing a child to grief or allowing them to participate in a funeral. Old school values say no, but new bereavement science states that is the worst thing to do for a child. Children need to express themselves and over protective shielding is not healthy long term for a child.
The article, Is it OK to take a young child to a funeral?, by
“Seeing the distress on her 10-year-old daughter Charlotte’s face as her mother-in-law’s coffin was carried into church, Katherine Nicholson instantly regretted allowing her child to attend a funeral so young. “She was distraught,” says Katherine. “She couldn’t take her eyes off the coffin and was sobbing as she gripped my hand.”
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