Memorial Books for Children

Welcome back to another Blog. This week I’ll be exploring what is currently available on the market for school-age children. Whether that be crafting activities for Bereaved children, Memorial Books for Children, or remembrance books – so if you’d like some ideas on how you can keep memories of a dearly loved one who has died, alive for your children, then please keep reading. 

Statistics 

One in five children will experience the death of someone close to them by the time they are 18 years old. Bereavement can have particularly traumatic effectors on children and young people. These include not doing well with their school work, experiencing low self-confidence and even more worryingly, being at a greater risk of dying young.

Affect of bereavement on children 

Children can respond differently to the loss of a loved one for many reasons. Adults often want to protect children by not telling them what is going on, but children are likely to notice that something is wrong which can lead to anxiety, emotional stress and confusion. Children often prefer that things are spoken about. Often children will take far longer to process the death of a loved one, they can be visibly seen to bounce back to normal life, often leaving adults concerned that they have not fully understood what has happened. Children handle grief differently, but as their brains are still developing and understanding the world around them, it’s no wonder that they can struggle to process things. 

How can we help children to process grief?

When telling a child that a loved one has died, it can be emotionally traumatic for both the adult and child alike, this can often lead to feelings of avoidance and delay in telling them. As already explained above, not telling children or not being honest can often cause underlying anxiety and concern as children by their nature are very tuned-in to their loving and supportive environment. When we as adults process grief, it is impossible for us to remain the same around children because we are processing our own loss and emotional upset. 

If Heaven had a Postcode 

In 2023, after losing my mother and desperately looking for ways to help and support my just turned 6 year old, I wrote my first book; ‘If Heaven had a Postcode’.

This book is a complete 88-page remembrance and memorial book, designed for both children and adults alike. 

Unlike anything else on the market, this book is designed to be refillable, with 16 individual envelopes each containing something unique. 

With prompts to write letters to loved ones, design Christmas cards, build ‘life lists’ and plant ever-growing seeds in their memory, If Heaven had a Postcode is the most unique and much loved bereavement companion. 

Parents will love the guided prompts throughout the book and the uplifting poems, children will love adding precious photos and enjoy the heartfelt illustrations of Robin and his friend as they journey through the seasons of life. 

The ultimate book of remembrance for any dearly loved one. 

Purchase your copy here www.ifheavenhadapostcode.com

Or via the Waterstones website - If Heaven Had a Postcode | Waterstones

Make your own Memory Box 

As I’ve mentioned previously, Making your own memory box can be a lovely family activity that you can work on together. 

Etsy have some beautiful hand-crafted solid wood boxes that can be painted and personalised. 

Some also have a nice hinged top and can hold a large photo album, some personal effects, cards and letters. 

A memory box can often feel like a treasure chest to children, and it’s lovely for them to go through it from time to time and talk about the things inside that are precious to them and you. 

Scrapbooking 

If your children are more creative and love total free rein, then why not buy a scrapbook, print off some lovely photographs  and let them build their own tribute? 

You could encourage them to make it a weekly thing and spare a moment of reflection to write down a lovely memory each week. 

Amazon have some fantastic blank scrapbooks, many of which also have space for photos too. 

As always, thank you to everyone that supports me as a writer and thank you for being here today, 

Sending love to those that need it,

Sabrina x