By far one of the most sensitive conversations a parent can face with their children is explaining death.
When a family chooses a natural burial for a loved one that emphasizes environmental stewardship, simplicity and a natural return to the earth, these same explanations to kids can come off as extra complex.
That’s why we reached out to some renowned natural burial specialists in Yellow Springs, Ohio to better understand how parents can approach these conversations through faith and teach their children more about death-related themes like hope, love, creation, and the eternal continuity of life.
So, check out the below sections to learn how you should talk to your children about loss and natural burials by embracing your faith!
Try By Beginning Honestly & Age-Appropriately
Every child deserves a truthful explanation when a loved one passes away, but these explanations need to be carefully shaped by parents with emotional development and age in mind.
This is the main reason why parents should avoid most euphemisms that could frighten or confuse kids, including sayings like gone to sleep. What parents should instead do is simply explain how death means that a person’s body stops working and that they’re no longer alive—while still reaffirming faith concepts around the spirit and soul.
And when discussing natural burials, it’s usually best to keep language simple. You could say that a natural burial is a way for your loved one’s body to be placed back into the earth’s soil gently, like being realigned with God’s creation of the earth.
Always allow your children to ask questions when they’re ready to do so, and never feel pressured to explain everything right away.
Creating A Comfort Source Through Faith
Faith is often the best framework to allow children to better understand how loss transcends fear.
There are countless religious traditions across various faiths that emphasize how death is simply a part of God’s plan and that human life itself is incredibly sacred. By embracing faith during these tough conversations with kids, you can help them better understand how love always continues beyond the physical separations of death—which can make the entire experience much more grounding.
Natural burials also tend to align well with faith-based scriptures oriented around stewardship, humility, and returning to God’s creation upon death. Famous phrases like from the earth we come, and to the earth we return can go a long way to assist kids in seeing death as a natural cycle that we all go through.
Gently Explaining Natural Burials
It’s normal for children to be curious about what exactly differentiates natural burials from conventional ones.
This is why parents should simply explain how natural burials avoid the usage of heavy materials or chemicals, which then allows a loved one’s body to naturally reset under the ground. Be sure to emphasize respect, care and peace—as opposed to any physical details.
It’s also a good idea to frame natural burials as a true act of love for the earth, the decedent, and for future generations to come. By incorporating this type of perspective, you’ll help your kids comprehend how this choice is both intentional and thoughtful.
Encourage Emotional Expression
It’s normal for children to quickly move in and out of grief. In one moment, they might ask serious questions, and in the next they might go back to playing like normal.
Be sure to let your kids know that this is perfectly normal, and that they can always express their feelings through outlets like prayer, drawings, conversation and quiet reflection.
There are many faith traditions that help children process tough dilemmas like grief, including saying prayers, lighting a candle, visiting a memorial site or planting a tree. These types of actions give children tangible ways to honor and remember the loved one who’s died.
Reassure Your Children About Love & Safety
It’s also common for children to worry about their own safety when they initially learn about losing a loved one.
This is why it’s incredibly important for parents to reassure their kids that they’ll be protected and cared for. You can do this through all sorts of faith-based encouragements about God’s constant love. Emphasizing community and family will also help restore their stability and ease anxiety.
And if possible, try to maintain your family’s routines. Bedtime prayers, familiar schedules, and any other family traditions can help your kids feel much more secure during these types of uncertain times.
Maintain An Ongoing Conversation
Lastly, parents should remember that the lessons learned about death and natural burials are far from a one-time lecture.
As your kids get older, they’ll likely want to revisit this type of topic with new emotions and deeper questions. This means that parents should remain open to maintaining these conversations and slightly changing explanations as their kids’ understanding matures.
And just remember that you don’t need to have perfect answers when speaking with your children about loss. By providing compassion, honesty and spiritual grounding, these types of conversations will go a long way to help children see that death isn’t simply an ending—because it’s just a part of a much longer story of faith, love and eternal meaning.
