Baby Obituary Sample

How to write a respectful obituary for a baby or toddler that passed away?

Losing your child is the worst thing that can happen. When you are forced to write an obituary for a baby or toddler that is dear to you that has recently passed away, this is both a great honor as well as a great responsibility towards the family. The appointed person, how hard it might be, also might go through a difficult time, depending how close he or she was with the deceased person. The obituary you create must show the respect that he or she deserved, and it will be read and heard by many, many people. Often obituaries are published in the newspapers and on the internet far into the future. It will be read by family members, loved ones, friends, acquaintances, and many others who are simply interested in reading about neighbors who have passed away. For most writers, the obituary will be the most important piece people will keep and will remember the person by. It might be the hardest thing they will ever will do.

Despite the above factors, most people who are called upon to compose an obituary are utterly unprepared to do so. And while there is a growing list of resources to support the novice obituary author, there is still a profound lack of practical, helpful, easy-to-use assistance.

This obituary template is prepared to help people who are called upon to create an obituary. It is designed to provide practical support in an easy-to-follow and use manner. Examples are provided when they are appropriate.

Guidelines for parents that grief:

As soon as possible after the death, set time aside to talk to your child.
Give your child the facts in a simple manner - be careful not to go into too much detail. Your child will ask more questions as they come up in his/her mind.
lf you can't answer their questions, it's OK to say, "I don't know how to answer that, but perhaps we can find someone to help us."
Use the correct language - say the word "dead" etc. Do not use phrases such as: "He's sleeping", or "God took her", or "He went away", etc.
Ask your child questions to better understand what they may be thinking or feeling. "What are you feeling?" "What have you heard from your friends?" "What do you think happened?" Etc.
Explain your feelings to your child, especially if you are crying. Give them permission to cry to. We are their role models and it's appropriate for children to see our sadness and to share our feelings with them.
Use the given name of the deceased when speaking of him or her.
Understand the age and level of comprehension of your child. Speak to that level.
Talk about feelings, such as: sad , angry, feeling responsible, scared , tearful, depressed , worried, etc.
Rea d a book on childhood grief so YO \J ·have a better understanding of what you r child may be experiencing.
Read a book on death to you r chi ld. Take time to discuss what you have read and tie it into what is happening to you .

Source: Helen Fitzgerald, CDE

Please note that all of the following steps do not have to be included. If all of the steps are included, it constitutes an exceptional obituary. Many times, an obituary must be much, much shorter due to any number of factors; including the inability to contact friends and relatives from early years. Provide the readers of the obituary you write with whatever you can. Using this baby obituary template guarantees you have something decent in hand that can help you to start! It comes in Microsoft Office format or Google Docs format, is ready to be tailored to your personal needs.

Download this Baby Obituary template now to help you getting started! We wish you strength.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing on this site shall be considered legal advice and no attorney-client relationship is established.

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