Animated films to help children cope with bereavement from Co-Operative Funeralcare

It's been seven years since we lost my dear old Nan. It was the first time that my younger children had to deal with bereavement. They adored their Great Nan and her death was very hard on them. I remember telling them when they got back from school on the day she died. We sat together on the stairs and sobbed. Losing a loved one is hard, and although she was 98 years old and in poor health, her death hit them hard.

We decided that all the great grandchildren would attend her funeral, giving them a chance to say good-bye and celebrate her life together. At the service, my daughter Megan read a beautiful poem in front of the congregation and her words, punctuated with sobs, touched everyone deeply. It was so moving. Afterwards we had a family party where we remembered our favourite stories about Nan, laughing and crying in equal measure. The process of being involved in the funeral helped the children deal with the grieving process and as a family we worked through all the emotions of losing a loved one. We all still miss my Nan and fondly remember all the wonderful things about her.

The Co-operative Funeralcare has launched a series of short animated films aimed at helping bereaved children to cope with the loss of a loved one. Teaming up with the charity Child Bereavement, Trauma and Emotional Wellbeing Service (CHUMS), they are offering the films as a free resource to local schools, medical professionals, counsellors, community groups and bereaved families.

The DVDs including “Our Year Since Dad Died” and  "Our Year Since Grandma Died", are animated stories to help children understand their grief, told in a video diary format, with the main character Gemma talking through her feelings following a loved one's death. It includes various aspects of the family’s grief, including significant events such as the funeral, Mother's Day and birthdays. It offers practical guidelines on how to overcome everyday hurdles.

It also comes with resources such as guidance notes and downloadable lesson plan and Powerpoint presentation suitable for key stages 2 – 4.  Grief can be overwhelming, painful, confusing and lonely. The aim of these DVDs is to support bereaved children and let them see they are not alone and that there is no right or wrong way to grieve and there is no fixed time scale for individuals to express their grief. The films can make a difference to a child through their loss and help with their long term emotional well being.

The free DVDs are available from your local Co-Operative Funeralcare. 

To view a short preview of the DVDs and find out more visit: 

www.co-operativefuneralcare.co.uk/child-bereavement