Words of Condolence to Write in a Letter for a Child

Dear Ken and Alice,

I am so sorry for the loss of your son Phillip. There are no words that can relieve the pain that you are feeling right now, but know that you are not alone as the prayers of all your friends and family surround you at this time.

As a parent myself, I can only imagine the depths of anguish you must be feeling now. Losing a child is one of the most difficult experiences that you can face. I know the dreams and plans you had for your son are just memories now, but I hope someday that those memories will offer you comfort. I only hope that my words can convey a small portion of sympathy to you.

I am thinking of you and will keep you in my prayers.

With Most Sincere Sympathy,

Reginald Powers

1. Keep your letter short but thoughtful
2. Try to mention a fond or funny memory of the deceased if you have one
3. Respect religious beliefs. It is at this time that some people may question their beliefs, but sincere sympathy is always appreciated.
4. Sign with a full name (first and surname). This is good etiquette as there may be other relatives or friends with the same first name as you.
5. Do not offer financial help
6. Do offer to help in other ways such as offering to cook a nice meal for the surviving family members, or helping with chores

Letters of sympathy and condolences are personal and should reflect your relationship with the survivors or the deceased, and so you should first mention the name of the person you are addressing. Depending on how close you are with the parents of the deceased child some of the ways you can do that are:

Dear _______,
My Dear Friend _______,
Dearest _______,
Dear Mrs. _______,
Dear Mr. _______,
Dear _______ Family,
Dear Family _______,

* Condolence Letter Writing Tip: If you knew the deceased, but not the family, address the letter to the closest family member, such as the spouse or eldest child. Also, if you did not know the deceased, address the card or letter to your friend, co-worker, or acquaintance.

Choosing the right words to include in your own letter can be a challenging task, especially in such as instance as the loss of a child. Just write from the heart so that the recipient can feel your sincerity.

In our letter we began with:

I am so sorry for the loss of your son Phillip. There are no words that can relieve the pain that you are feeling right now, but know that you are not alone as the prayers of all your friends and family surround you at this time.

Some other appropriate options include:

My deepest condolences to you. I'm so sorry to hear of the passing of dear little _______. I will keep you in my prayers.

We are so sorry for your loss. You have our deepest sympathy and are in our thoughts and prayers.

My deepest condolences on the loss of your precious child. May your beautiful memories sustain and bring comfort during this unhappy season.

Please accept our deepest sympathies. Words cannot adequately express our sorrow in your loss, but know that our prayers are with you during this time.

Some people hesitate to compose words of condolence letters for a child because they are not sure of what to say or they worry that they may write something inappropriate. However, mentioning a fond memory of the deceased as we did on our sample letter can actually help the survivors to better deal with the pain of losing their loved one. It can also provide comfort as they relive happy memories. Here are some other ways to do this:

1. I remember teaching _____ to play baseball. He had such enthusiasm and natural talent. Nothing less than perfect would make him happy. He tackled everything in life with the same attitude. I know you will miss that wonderful personality every day.
2. How well I remember when I saw the first pictures of _______. You were so excited to become parents; that was all you talked about. And to watch you raise your _____________ gave me such joy. I cannot imagine the depth of pain you must be feeling.
3. I never knew your child, but I felt that I did through the photos and videos you shared with me. I knew it was _____ that brought you to work every day and inspired you to be a better person. I just want you to know how sorry I am for your loss.

Some appropriate ways to offer help are:

• I’ll prepare a bunch of meals that you can keep in the freezer. That way you can just thaw them out and heat them up as you need them.
• I’m going shopping on _____ so I’ll pick up a few things for you and drop them by on the way home.
• I'll set up a time with you next week to come by and clean your house so that you don't have to worry about it.
• Since I lost _____ I attend regular support meetings. I have one on _____, I’d really like for you to join me.
• I have _____ and _____ off, so I’ll give you a call and we can talk on whichever day suits you.
• Don’t worry about your pets. My kids will come by before and after school to feed them. until
• I'm taking the kids to a movie next week. I'll stop by and take your kids along.

We closed our letter with:

With Most Sincere Sympathy,

Ending the letter in the right way can be just as difficult as beginning it. It is your final chance to offer words that comfort the grieved. These final words of sympathy end the letter can show your sympathy to the family. Other phrases you can use to end words of condolence letters for a child are:

• With hope that it helps you to know how much we care.
• With warm and sincere sympathy.
• With blessings, love and prayers.
• May these flowers express what our words never will.
• Know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.
• With our deepest condolences for your loss.

Makes sure you avoid these common spelling mistakes if creating your own words for any in our sample words of condolence letters for a child.

• Condolense
• Condolesens
• Simpathy
• Simpathie
• Preyers
• Blesings
• Simpothy
• Simpothie

Sometimes the quickest way to offer your sympathy is to send a text or email message rather than a letter of condolence for a child. You can express a similar sentiment in an email or message as you would in a letter. A shorter message is sufficient, especially for a text or social media message. Here are some examples that you can use.

I just heard about ______'s death. Please know you and your family are in my thoughts.

I heard from ______ that you lost your child. I want to extend my sympathies to you and the family. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

I just heard about the death of ______. I want to offer my sincere condolences. I'll call you next week to check in on you and the family.

You can send one of these messages to provide immediate comfort and then send a traditional letter at a later time if you feel it is appropriate.

If you are sending flowers or another gift to the parents, you may wonder what to put on a card to show your sympathy. Here are a few ideas that you can use for your own condolence cards for someone's child:

• May these flowers serve as an expression of my sympathy for you and your family.
• Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers during this time.
• May these flowers let you know that we care.
• Know that you are not alone in your loss.
• May God give you peace and comfort as you grieve.

"Grief is the price we pay for love." - Queen Elizabeth II

"I do not want the peace which passeth understanding, I want the understanding which bringeth peace." – Helen Keller

"Perhaps they are not stars but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones shines down to let us know they are happy." – Eskimo Legend