How to Plan a Funeral for a Child

There are few things in life more devastating than the death of a child, and planning a funeral for a child while you are still in mourning is difficult. If you are in this situation, then you are not alone. While it is hard to think about the business of planning right now, it is necessary in order to move forward. There is a lot to think about, so follow these steps to sort through the basics.

Instructions

Planning a Child's Funeral

1. Choose a funeral home nearby. They will help with every decision from casket (or urn) to readings at the funeral.

2. Pick out a coffin or urn and choose whether, if a casket, you want it open for the funeral, and whether you want a viewing. Also consider small touches like burying the child with a favorite toy, book or blanket.

3. Contact the church or other venue to arrange for a date and time for the funeral.

4. Arrange for a time before the funeral for viewing, prayer services or whatever else your personal and religious needs require.

5. Order flowers for the casket and grave site. If you arrange this through the funeral home, they may also help you arrange for programs, memorial objects (like seed packets or bubbles) or other things you may not think of.

6. Call family members to invite them and to ask if any of them wish to speak, sing, or offer a reading at the service. Also ask them to pass the word to anyone you might have forgotten to call.

Tips & Warnings

• Play your child's favorite music at the funeral.

• Losing a child is a terrible thing to go through. Take things one day at a time and use all the support that you can get. Ask for help planning the funeral if you need it.

• You will also have to arrange for the burial itself, which means buying a grave plot, arranging things with the graveyard and buying a headstone.

• Services can be very expensive. Find out if you are entitled to insurance benefits of any kind, which will help cover the costs of the burial.