How To Talk About Funeral Pre-Planning With Friends And Family?

How Do You Go About Pre Planning Your Funeral?

There is no shortcut to talking about funeral pre-planning. All said and done; it may just be something that you have to look in the face and take care of. That being said, there are some tips that can help you talk to your family and friends about this crucial subject and open the discussion surrounding the advance planning for your funeral arrangements. 

It helps to remember that pre-planning a funeral is no easy task. It may be emotional and challenging, both for the person who is pre-planning their funeral arrangements as well as for their friends and family. After all, none of us want to confront our own mortality, much less the mortality of those we love dearly. Nevertheless, it is important to have these funeral conversations with the people who matter to you so they know what you want. Let’s take a look at how you can go about this in detail.

Some Essential Tips To Get Started With Discussing Funeral Pre Planning

Different people may prefer different kinds of approaches to having conversations about their funeral pre-planning. What works for another person may not work for you. The converse may also be true. However, there are some useful tips that are tried and tested — which is why they may work for you as they do for most people who want to talk about their funeral planning in advance. 

Check out these helpful pointers below.

1. Get off to a slow start

Since it may not be a comfortable subject for most people, it’s best to take it slow and gently broach the subject. This is particularly important if you are discussing the advance funeral arrangements for someone else, like your mother, father or any other relative or friend. Check if they have the mindspace to discuss something as important as this before opening up a conversation about funerals. You can start off by touching upon some nostalgic topics like family vacations or old shared memories to make the discussion easier to start. 

2. But be direct

While it is important to be gentle in your approach, it is also crucial that you be direct about it. Beating around the bush or hesitating to mention heavy words like ‘death’ or ‘funeral’ may only make the discussion harder to have. If you are having a talk about pre-planning funeral arrangements with your parents or someone older than you, they may try to change the subject initially. At this juncture, it is crucial to gently pull them back into the heart of the topic. 

3. Focus on the key facts and details

Another great tip to the talk about funeral pre-planning is to focus on the facts and the important bits of information. For instance, try not to ask open-ended questions such as ‘Have you considered what kind of funeral arrangements you’ll need?’ Instead, open with a more direct and concrete tidbit, like how much they could save by planning their funeral in advance or about an online offer you saw for this service. This is a great way to open the subject for discussion and generate interest. 

4. Be sensitive and offer reassurance.

Some people may not react well to conversations about death and funerals. They may become emotional or even deeply sad. Look for any signs of stress and be prepared with appropriate reassurances. It is important to be sensitive rather than dismissive in such circumstances. By offering reassurances and encouraging them to talk about how they feel, you can keep the dialogue open and eventually circle back to what you wanted to talk about. 

5. Explain the benefits behind funeral pre-planning

Above all, ensure that you explain the need for funeral pre-planning clearly. If you are making the advance arrangements for yourself, let your friends and family know that it is important to you. And if you want to talk to your parents about planning their funeral in advance, discuss the benefits of doing this in detail, so they can see why it is a good idea at its core. Some of the primary advantages of pre-planning a funeral include financial clarity, easier funeral planning at the time of demise, and overall peace of mind for everyone involved. 

It May Be A Difficult Conversation, But It’s A Necessary One

Discussing end-of-life plans is never easy. But whether you’re having this conversation with regard to your own funeral or whether you want to encourage your parents to have these plans in place, it is a necessary conversation to have. 

Once you have opened this subject up at home, you need to actively take steps to plan the funeral in advance. A big part of this is pre-planning your casket. Titan Casket makes it easy to take care of this area in advance because you can choose a casket in advance and lock in today’s price too. 

Casket Pre Planning Made Easy

We'll help you purchase your pre-plan. You'll lock in today's price, ensure that your wishes are respected, and remove this financial responsibility from your family.