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Wathall's bereavement book for children

Wathall’s, Derby’s longest established independent funeral directors, has created an activity book to support grieving children and young people, with proceeds from sales supporting our bereavement service.

Wathall’s Bereavement Support Coordinator, Fay Bloor, worked with illustrator Michael Ashley to create the book: ‘Missing Someone Special – working your way through loss’. The book has been published as part of Wathall’s Dandelions Bereavement Support service. It gently explains practical things, such as what happens at a burial service, as well as highlighting the importance of sharing emotions following a bereavement.
Two women smiling holding bereavement book

Donation to children's bereavement service

There is space for children to write down happy memories of their loved one and express  feelings through words and pictures. The activity book costs £12.99 and at least £1 from the sale of each book will be donated towards our children’s bereavement service.
The book is accompanied by a booklet and a blog for adults supporting children through bereavement.

We hope that the children’s activity book and the booklet will be useful for families during what is a particularly difficult time having lost a loved one.

Qualified counsellor Faye said: “Adults often feel like they must protect children from the harsh reality of death. They are also mourning a loss themselves.  However, avoiding the discussions can cause confusion and anxiety for the child. “The reality is that children are extremely resilient. They can deal with the truth, if it is explained to them carefully in an age-appropriate way.

A starting point for reassurance and support

“The activity book is therefore designed to gently explain what has happened. It explains and the kind of words and phrases that they have perhaps heard people discussing. “It also highlights the range of emotions that they may be feeling and encourages them to express these in the book. Families can then use this as a starting point for reassurance and support."