How old were you when you first went to a funeral?

[Spinneret]

I was 14 my uncles

 

[SC Minnie]

First grade. My best friend died right before Christmas. Hers was the first funeral I remember attending.

 

[mjkacmom]

Most likely a baby. My grandmother was one of eight, the other grandparents had four siblings, while our weddings were kid free, waked and funerals were for all. I was extremely familiar with our local funeral home (dad’s Methodist parents) and another one 20 minutes away (mom’s catholic parents). All of my kids started attending as babies.

 

[ronandannette]

I was 6 and it was an elderly member of our community that I wasn’t close to. My parents thought it was wise to expose me to the situation in a kind of neutral way, before I had to experience the loss of dear loved ones. They answered all my curiosities in a factual, non-emotionally charged way and I remember it to this day. We did the same thing with our own DS at around the same age. Sadly, he was only 4 when his beloved grandpa died and was just too young to participate then.

 

[TippyThomas]

I was a baby when I was taken to my first funeral. I was roughly 9 or 10 years old before I attended the first funeral I remember. It was shortly after my adoption.

 

[mjkacmom]

I was 6 and it was an elderly member of our community that I wasn’t close to. My parents thought it was wise to expose me to the situation in a kind of neutral way, before I had to experience the loss of dear loved ones. They answered all my curiosities in a factual, non-emotionally charged way and I remember it to this day. We did the same thing with our own DS at around the same age. Sadly, he was only 4 when his beloved grandpa died and was just too young to participate then.

Why? My grandmother passed when our kids were 1, 1, 3, 6 and 8, all attended the open casket wake and funeral Mass, my 3 year old loved her so much, she stroked her cheek.

 

[tazdev3225]

I was 8 and it was my grandfather who I adored. I avoided funerals as much as possible after that point. While I stood at the casket staring at my grandfather his hands moved. Freaked me out. Many years later my grandmother confirmed what I saw. I go to them but I'm still not crazy being near the casket.

 

[EllieJedi]

I was 4 when my maternal grandmother died from cancer. I remember going to see her in the hospital at the end and then her funeral.

 

[disneychrista]

18

 

[sailorstitch]

Too young to remember it.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Four. My grandfather who was a coal miner died of black lung a week before my fifth birthday and I remember going to his funeral.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

With both of my parents being only children and having kids later in life I went to a lot of funerals as a child.
I remember a couple of them probably when I was 7 or 8.
But the first funeral that I went to that I knew the person well enough to be very upset and understand what grieving is was my grandma's just after I turned 10.

 

[E&Cmom]

I was 11 . My friends mom died of cancer. Our families were both friends.

 

[tvguy]

9. My dad's funeral.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

Maybe 7 or 8. It was my great grandpa. He lived in rural southern Kentucky. The preacher started doing that yelling hiccup getting all riled up thing. People were hysterically crying. I think it scarred me.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

17 my moms funeral

 

[greeneyedchick]

8 or 9 years old. I was in 2nd grade and my mom took me to my piano teacher's funeral (or maybe it was just the viewing). I think that's the way to do it. Take your elementary school kids to a funeral of someone that they aren't super close to so that when they do have to go to one for a someone they are close to, they'll know what to expect.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Teenager. A young woman in our friend group was killed in a car accident. It was horrifying as it was open casket and she was just too beautiful to be dead. I rarely go to funerals now, especially open casket if I know ahead. Too gruesome.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Probably 8. My grandfather's. He and my grandmother were traveling west to live with us and they had a traffic accident. He was killed, and my grandmother spend 2 months in the hospital.

 

[ncc1701]

I was 11 years old when my Great Grandmother (Dad's Maternal Grandmother) died. There was a viewing on 1 day then the funeral. We had visited her & my Great Granddad almost monthly . So they weren't strangers .They help raise my Dad after his Father died
I am glad I went to it and my Great Granddad's 15 months later. The next funeral was my Maternal Grandmom who I was much closer to. At least I knew what expect.