We just found out yesterday that a classmate and friend of our 6 year old was struck by a truck when riding his bike last weekend and killed. The boys have been in the same class for the last two years and while we didn’t typically socialize outside of school events and birthday parties they were a family that we would stop and talk to if we ever saw them out in public. DH is currently out of the country and we are waiting to tell E until he returns in a few days. E has only experienced the death of a pet before and I don’t really know how he’ll take it.

I’m wondering how many people would consider taking their 6 year old to the funeral of a classmate. I was planning to see how he processed the news and asking him if he wanted to go, but really he has no idea what he’s getting into. The boy who died was a twin and I also thought that seeing the other twin may be helpful.

The alternative is that I take him to the roadside memorial and we leave something there as a way to say goodbye. But typing that out seems traumatic as well... here is the spot where your friend died? Our whole school community is so shaken by all of this and I don’t even know where to begin.