Funerals

i went to my grandparents funeral when i was around that age. i wasnt really upset as i dunno i was too young to have likely emotionally developed or bonded or whatever maybe. sadness of funerals comes when your older i think, then to me its more being set off by the awareness of others sadness and the empathy for them.

I'm sorry to hear about your grandad. It's a tough decision whether to bring an 8-year-old autistic child to the funeral. It depends on the child's level of understanding and comfort with such events. If they do attend, it's important to prepare them beforehand and provide support throughout. As for explaining cremation, I'd keep it simple and age-appropriate, emphasizing that it's a way to say goodbye and that grandad's spirit lives on. On a personal note, I recently looked into direct cremation as a low-cost funeral options for a loved one. It's a practical choice that allows for a respectful farewell without added expenses. Take care.

I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer to this question. It’s all about what you feel is best for the child. I lost my grandfather at the same age but my mum didn’t take me to the funeral as she felt it would be too overwhelming. She has said that with hindsight she might have made a different decision, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it was the wrong decision. I was hit very hard by the death of my grandfather and my mum ended up getting me a child counsellor. Would it have helped me to process my grief had I attended the funeral? It’s impossible to say, it might have but then it also might have been more than I could handle at that age. Every child is different and that’s without taking into account complicating factors like autism. 

Just do what you think is best for the child. I’m sorry for your loss. 

I know that Irish funerals are very large and very well attended, especially in Rural Ireland - when I came home from the U.K. for my Mum’s funeral in 2009 and my Dad’s funeral in 2018, I was blown away at how many attended the removal, let alone the Requiem Mass & Burial and I was amazed that so many had flown in from Canada and the US - my Mum had almost married a US Marine from when she was working in the US Embassy in Dublin and his entire family came over - when my Dad died in 2018, my cousin Sean was in the French Foreign Legion and many of the guys from his regiment came to Ireland to pay their respects 

www.childrensbereavementcentre.co.uk/explaining-funerals-to-a-child

I've got death anxiety myself