Now that the school year has started up again and all the kids are back together, it’s time to consider that sometime during this school year, the loss of a family member may touch a child who is a friend of your family. Thinking about this possibility ahead of time is not something we want to do, but if we have a plan in mind, it’s easier when and if the time comes to set that plan in action and be able to help the family through a very trying period.
A special way to show a friend or family member that you care about them, is to send them a sympathy gift. This can be in the form of flowers, living plants, or perhaps a bereavement gift basket, often available at the same places you would purchase plants. Just like plants, sympathy gifts can usually be delivered to the family by the merchant .
We usually think of sending such bereavement gifts on the loss of a human family member, but in many ways pets can be just as much a family member as their human counterparts, especially in the life of a child. So if a friend of your child’s loses a pet, you may want to consider sending a special comfort gift to the child.
Rather than sending flowers or adult-type snacks, after first considering the child’s age, you might send drawing or coloring materials or other appropriate crafting items, books or magazines, or a cuddly stuffed animal. Meant to give the child something else to think about, these types of bereavement gifts can help the child through the first days of his loss.
Another aspect of grief in your child’s school can come in the form of the loss of a teacher or other school employee with whom your child is close. In these cases, the In Loving Memory gift basket sent to the family is most appropriate. Food is always a welcome sympathy gift at such a time, when out-of-town family members have gathered around and need to be fed. For any of these gifts, be sure a card or note is attached to let the recipients know who sent this thoughtful remembrance.