As a parent, you attempt to protect your child from pain and suffering as much as you can. However, when a loved one dies, there is no way that you can keep your teen from feeling the grief. Time is really the only thing that will help your teenager cope with the reality of death, but there are a few things that you can do to help.
Encourage Them to Attend the Funeral
Your teenager may shy away from attending any of the memorial services that take place after a death. However, you should encourage him or her to attend at least a portion of the funeral or whatever type of service is being held. It can be a beneficial step in the grieving process, and it can help them to see that they are not the only person feeling so deeply saddened by the passing.
Encourage Them to Feel
Explain to your teen the different stages of grief and let him or her know that all of the emotions that they are feeling are completely normal. Remind them that it is okay to cry or be angry. You should be open about how you are feeling as well. Allow them to talk to you about their feelings and be the shoulder that they can cry on.
Encourage Them to Talk it Out
While some people want to talk about the person that has passed and recall funny stories, others may not want to talk at all. Either approach is fine. If your teen wants to talk, try and be there to listen. However, if they don’t that is okay too. You can encourage them to write or keep a journal to “talk out” their feelings in a private way. This will allow them an outlet while still keeping their feelings personal.
Encourage Them to Preserve Memories
While they may want to remove any traces of the deceased to help curb the pain, encourage your teenager to preserve some of the memories. They may be saddened by the loss later when they have moved out of the mourning process. Things like a memory box, cremation necklace, or even a photo album can help preserve the memory of the loved one but can be put away until they are ready for the memories.
Encourage Them to Find a Support Group
Your teen may feel more comfortable discussing their feelings of loss with their peers. There are plenty of support groups that can be found either locally or online that will help your teen cope with the loss of the loved one. Encourage them to find a group that is suited to their mourning process.
At Johnston’s Cremation Jewelry, we understand how devastating the loss of a loved one can be that is why we created our line of cremation necklaces and urn jewelry. We wanted to give people a way to preserve their loved one and keep them close to the heart. Many of our styles will appeal to teenagers as well as adults.