Parents often shield their children from dealing with the death of a family member or other people. Mental health specialists say, however, that most children should be introduced to the concept of death as part of the cycle of life. Grade school-aged children can usually attend funerals or memorials, which can help them to deal with grief and loss.
Young children are less equipped to deal with the strong emotions at funerals.
Adults can't do much to prepare most preschoolers emotionally for funerals, either. Beginning at about age 6, however, children can benefit from attending funerals although adults should prepare them in advance. Take each child's personality into account. A feature from the San Antonio Express-News explains why funerals can be important for a child's emotional development. It also explains how to spot signs of grief in children, who often express it differently than adults do.