Youths suffer from a death just as adults do. They also have the feeling of numbness, anger, sadness, fear, and they may lose their appetite and their ability to sleep.  This article discusses the options in planning a funeral for a young adult. Sydney Coffins is a memorial product and funeral provider in Australia, specialising in unique and personalised coffins, caskets and funerals.

Youth may need to gather together. Sometimes their friends understand and offer them support in ways that an adult or parents cannot provide.

Youth have their own memories and experiences which an adult or parent may not know of or understand. Therefore, when they grieve it may be in a unique way for them to remember and cope with their loss. It is important for youth to have a supportive network who can hold them and witness their pain while they are dealing with their loss.

What do youths need when someone close to them dies?

Similar to adults, youth need time to be alone and they also need time where they can be with their friends. Youth need people they can trust, who will listen to them. Asking young people how they feel is a good place to start. Sometimes people find it hard to open up, but a caring and soft gesture that you are there to listen is very important.

The funeral l want to give my child is different to what they want

It can be difficult to create a funeral that incorporates what youth want from a funeral and what an older person would like. An option to address  this could be to have a traditional funeral followed by a memorial service at a later date. Or vice versa.

This solution allows the youth their own time to grieve and remember through their own setting and service.

What do youths need from a funeral?

A funeral is an important step in dealing with death. It is an opportunity for youths to talk and listen to others who are feeling similar emotions. A funeral can be a supportive network for them to cope with their loss.

It is important to provide youths with the platform to release their own ways to incorporate their emotion and their own way to express their memories in a funeral. The youth may need to hold their own service or gathering in accordance with their own spirituality and beliefs. Stories and memories might be shared, certain songs or pictures may be displayed. The service may incorporate music or words which express their pain or even celebration.

They may need to express their feelings during a funeral. For example, they may write a poem, play or sing a song, write a letter or even do something with others in commemoration. They may own a tangible product that reminds them of their deceased family member or friend. The sentimental value may be something they want to hold onto or let go of by placing it in their coffin.

Coffin or Casket for a teenager or adolescent?

Choosing a memorial product for a funeral is subjective. However, it might help to get opinions from their closest friends if you do not know what product they would have liked.

Sydney Coffins offers a range of memorial products.  We have tried to design products which vary in style, colour and design to suit different age groups and people. You can read our article on ‘Personalised Coffins – What are they? Should l choose one?’