Letter: Don’t shield young children from the reality of death

Wednesday 26th January 2011, 6:00AM GMT.

Newport Cemetery
Newport Cemetery

Letter: Like most of us, Peter Rhodes is sometimes right and sometimes wrong. In his column he says Elizabeth Archer should not have allowed her twins to attend their father Nigel’s funeral. Sorry, Peter. In this you are wrong.

Jill Archer urged her daughter to let them go, remembering the trauma she had suffered in not being allowed to go to her own mother’s funeral when she was a girl. Okay “The Archers” is only fiction, but it dealt so sensitively with this problem.

I well remember how when my grandmother, who lived with us, died. I was seven, and was sent to school as usual on the day of the funeral. My parents did this from the best of motives.

Yet 66 years later I still remember coming home on that day to find the house full of relatives I had never met. My feelings of loneliness and rejection, of not being part of the family, are still vivid in my memory.

Through the years I have always advised, when asked my opinion in situations like this, that children should be put fully in the picture and given the choice of attending the funeral of a close relative or not. In every case, the children have chosen to do so.

My own grandchildren attended my wife’s funeral 18 months ago. A six-year-old grandson even asked if he could go to see his grandmother. We talked it through with him and his request was granted and he coped with it perfectly.

The pain felt by the loss of someone we dearly love will always be there and things will never be the same again, but we can pick up the threads and live happily.

Peter remembers that Queen Victoria refused to attend Prince Albert’s funeral in 1861. Her not saying farewell could well have been the reason why she never recovered from her distress and remained in grief and mourning for the rest of her long life and reign.

Name and address

supplied


  1. 1
    eva land

    I have pondered this too. I was seven when my mother’s mother died. She had been living with us and I adored her. She waas girly and knitted me dolls clothes when i lived in a house very male dominated.
    I remeber being told about heaven and her being up in the sky.Iwas teased by siblings telling me she was in the ground being eaten by maggots so I buried my plastic doll to see if this was true. I didn’t like to bury it dressed but it seemed wrong burying it naked. Anyway it was dug up by a brother and created more merriment for them and humiliation for me!
    I can remember lying on the grass looking up at the sky thinking when I die I’m going to look at this bfore i go because next time i look I’ll be looking down!

    I was never allowed to go to any funerals on the basis my mother did not want us to see her or more likely, my father cry, I think?
    I loathe all the religious claptrap on the Archers which has got worse in my view but I like to think we are more aware and sensitive to what we tell young children today and would acknowledge their pain too.

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  2. 2
    Vamperic

    you should never and could never tell a person what is right and wrong about letting children go to a furneral or not.
    it is totally the decision of the family they know their children best.
    my first funeral was at 15 and it was a bit confusing really, yes all sad and tearful at the church, the stiff upper lip outside on the way to the crem, more tears a moan as the curtains close then back to a relatives where drink is knocked back jokes and merriment ensues all saying that this is what so and so would want. at 15 you ask how do you know that what they want their dead never to return why should we be happy ever again.
    now imagine a 6 year old in this situation

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  3. 3
    Victoria

    I am 29 and never been to a funeral, my Mum told me that they were not a place for children and the only funerals she could not stop me going to was her’s and my Dads, Obviously now being 29 there are more people in my life and she would never dream of “stopping” me, but i have always respected my Mums descion and never been to a funeral. Was she right? Yes i beleive she was in the case of myself as i was a very sensitive child and she knew i would not be able to handle it, does this rule apply to all Children? No i agree with Vamperic and it should be down to the parents to make the right decsion for their child.

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  4. 4
    Jane

    I have a six year old daughter and we are very honest with her about death, but I didn’t take her to my uncle’s funeral last year as I felt it was inappropriate at that time. If she asks questions we tell her the truth but I personally felt she was too young to go and she would have been quite frightened as it was a cremation. I think individuals know whats best for their children and how they would cope with situations like that. No-one should feel obligated one way or the other. I just believe that being honest about death is the best approach.

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  5. 5
    Michelle

    I was not allowed to go to my Dads funeral when I was seven. I have never forgiven my mother from stopping me saying goodbye to my Dad. She had no right to make that decision for me.

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