Holiday Activities for Grieving Families

1. Holiday Activities for Grieving Families Experiencing your first holiday without a loved one is enormously challenging. While it’s only a minor comfort, as an adult you at least have the advantage of understanding, if only theoretically, what you are likely to experience as part of the grieving process. But children are different. Trying to support them while you’re grieving yourself has challenges. You may need to have some holiday grief activities that can amuse and occupy the children and you may need some activities that you can join in together. Here are some ideas: It’s impossible to ignore or forget somebody’s absence. It makes far more sense to acknowledge and even try to heal from activities that honour and reflect kindly and sensitively on the passing of your loved one. A nice idea is to find a reasonable sized box; perhaps the width and depth of an A4 piece of paper and as tall as a shoe box. Decorate the box in two pieces making sure that the lid can be easily removed. Make the decorations very personal. Give everybody an opportunity to provide their own touches. Then write letters, reflections, poems or create a piece of art and place it in the box. Take the opportunity to reflect on your loved one - articulate your thoughts and feelings but don’t reflect negatively. Perhaps you can think and then write or otherwise express, how important they were in your life. Another idea is to find your photo albums and create a collage of photos making it as inclusive as possible. Find somewhere appropriate to place it. Perhaps it can go on your Christmas tree. Some of these activities may feel like gestures to you but to children they

2. can be very significant and cathartic. A collage is a really creative and hands on way to face grief. A special space dedicated to the memory of your loved one is a great tribute and something that can be positioned for the duration of the holiday period. A table is a great space for such a tribute. You can place photos, a candle, books and messages. Some will have their own momentos to contribute and memories to share. Space may become a problem but perhaps rotating your memory items is a great way to keep everybody actively participating. Some other activities might include: A visit or visits to the cemetery at significant times over the holiday period. It is a lovely act of remembrance to go as a family unit or friendship group to the place where your loved one rests or if they were were cremated, then going to a site that was significant to them. Designing Christmas tree ornaments with your loved one in mind. Again, these creative activities really engage children and young people and make the grieving process much easier to understand. Most importantly, give yourself time and be easy on yourself. You will need a lot of support if you have to organise a funeral and a burial service or cremation. Southern Cross Funeral Directors are dedicated to supporting you at this very difficult time. As funeral directors who have been in business for three generations, we have lots of ideas and experience that can benefit you during this very difficult period.