(no subject)
Ok so the funeral home business is a go. I will be enrolling in PIMS in the fall to get started and in a year from now, I'll be a licensed embalmer and funeral director. I even found somebody who wants to work for me already to help me with hair and makeup for the bodies. I'm really excited because now that everybody around me knows that I'm serious about this, I've got full support.
I actually had an idea to set myself apart from other businesses as well and was hoping that people would weigh in on this. I'm trying to provide the most family-friendly atmosphere as possible because I grew up going to funerals and was never scared or upset by them (except when it was my grandparents but that was because they were hard losses for me) but that is just my personality, obviously because I want to make it my living. I know that sometimes people want to bring their children to say goodbye but sometimes kids get scared or don't understand. What I'd like to do is set up a little children's room/corner/nook thing with kid friendly books explaining death. That way, parents can bring their child to the service but there is a safe place for them to stay if they're not ready to come view the body.
Another thing that I'd like to do, since I'm getting certified as a grief counselor as well, is to organize a group for kids dealing with loss. I was thinking of doing this in age groups like 4-9, 10-14 and 15+. Depending on the age groups, the activities would be tailored to fit their needs. Books and activity based for the younger groups and maybe more discussion and coping methods for the older groups. I'd love to organize something like a balloon release in the spring for the kids. I just think it would be a good community program because sometimes the mourning process in children is sometimes forgotten because people assume that they're so resilient and will bounce back right away but it's not always the case. Also, because death can be such a taboo topic, kids can speak freely in these groups and discuss their feelings and maybe it won't be such a scary experience for them anymore. I think it would just be something that would be beneficial for children. Another thing I was considering was doing a tour of the funeral home (when there aren't any bodies on display, obviously) and show them that it's not a scary place. I mean, I wouldn't have them sit in on an embalming but taking them around to the viewing rooms, showing them the cars, explaining what goes into planning, etc.
How does something like this sound? If you had kids, would you want them to participate in something like this? If anyone has any book suggestions, let me know too. I have a list started already. I'd probably mix in a few non-death related books too.
I actually had an idea to set myself apart from other businesses as well and was hoping that people would weigh in on this. I'm trying to provide the most family-friendly atmosphere as possible because I grew up going to funerals and was never scared or upset by them (except when it was my grandparents but that was because they were hard losses for me) but that is just my personality, obviously because I want to make it my living. I know that sometimes people want to bring their children to say goodbye but sometimes kids get scared or don't understand. What I'd like to do is set up a little children's room/corner/nook thing with kid friendly books explaining death. That way, parents can bring their child to the service but there is a safe place for them to stay if they're not ready to come view the body.
Another thing that I'd like to do, since I'm getting certified as a grief counselor as well, is to organize a group for kids dealing with loss. I was thinking of doing this in age groups like 4-9, 10-14 and 15+. Depending on the age groups, the activities would be tailored to fit their needs. Books and activity based for the younger groups and maybe more discussion and coping methods for the older groups. I'd love to organize something like a balloon release in the spring for the kids. I just think it would be a good community program because sometimes the mourning process in children is sometimes forgotten because people assume that they're so resilient and will bounce back right away but it's not always the case. Also, because death can be such a taboo topic, kids can speak freely in these groups and discuss their feelings and maybe it won't be such a scary experience for them anymore. I think it would just be something that would be beneficial for children. Another thing I was considering was doing a tour of the funeral home (when there aren't any bodies on display, obviously) and show them that it's not a scary place. I mean, I wouldn't have them sit in on an embalming but taking them around to the viewing rooms, showing them the cars, explaining what goes into planning, etc.
How does something like this sound? If you had kids, would you want them to participate in something like this? If anyone has any book suggestions, let me know too. I have a list started already. I'd probably mix in a few non-death related books too.