When did you go to your first Funeral?

When my friends husband died - I was already in my 30s. My sons are now in their 20s and were teenagers when attending their first. We were fortunate that there were no close family funerals prior to that - but I think a parent has to weigh up what's best for their own child in any given circumstances - and the decision is not solely based upon their age. Sadly, I have been to many more since that time.

I had to go to my first funeral when I was about the age of sixteen. My grandma died then.
As I pretty well remember how big the shock was, I wouldn`t force my children to go to a place they don`t want to. If the social circumstances should make it necessary for them to go, I would talk to them and prepar them best I could to help them understanding and getting over it.

I could never get myself to go to a funeral till my late twenties. The first one that I forced myself to go to was because the person meant a lot me and it was a student of mine whom I gave tutions to during my spare time. He died rather unfortunatley in an accident. It was extremely difficult for me to control myself and it had a lasting impact on me for a very long time.

I was sixteen when I first went to a funeral, it was for my grandmother. I was really nervouse because I did not know what to expect.
My son was 10 years old, a close friend of the family who baby sat him when he was younger. He also handled it very well.

I was very young when I went to my first "wake" I think I was about 5 years old, it was a family member and I remember going. Since then I have been to so many that I have lost count. I would allow my children to go at an early age to teach them not to be afraid of the dead and to say their good byes to the person who passed.

I went to the first funeral when my Uncle killed and when my grandfather died... Then I had never attended any funerals anymore... I am still 8-9 years old.. Same year both of them died.. My Uncle died in January and my Grandfather died in December year 1996.. I still don't have a child so, I can't answer your question yet...

The first funeral I veen to I musta been 6-7? It was my great grandma. From then until now (Im 18) I must have been to about 6 or 7 since then..

Well, I think my first one was when I was 9 because my mom died. I've been to many more since then, one of my childhood friend's dad shot himself in front of her mom, I think we might have been 13 at the time. I attended several funerals during high school because 4 people died, a car accident, a suicide, a murder, and another accident. Then my friend's grandma died.

My kids have been to several funerals, I went to one with my daughter when a boy she knew died from an accidental drug overdose. She was 14. My younger daughter was an infant. I also attended another one with my daughter when her friend's mom died. I had met her and she had met the baby too, we knew her time was limited, she had cancer and was still having chemo when I met her. My son attended one when his best friend's dad died recently. I did not go to that one with him, he was 16 and he didn't need me there.

As far as kids, it depends on the reason. If it's a friend of theirs, it is important for them to go IF THEY WANT TO. If it is a grandparent or the parent of a friend or another relative of a friend, it depends again if they want to go. If they have or had no relationship with that person, I'm not sure if they really need to go, but if they were close to the person, it helps.