30 Sympathy Gifts for Parents Who Have Lost a Child

Today we are sharing with you thirty heartfelt sympathy gifts for parents who have lost a child.

There is no greater pain in this world than losing a child, no matter how young or old they were. And during such a difficult time, there are often no words comforting enough to help ease the parents’ pain.

Instead, to let the grieving parents know you’re thinking of them, you may want to offer a compassionate sympathy gift.

Below, we’ve categorized the gift ideas by age (infant, young child, teen, adult). You can easily browse age-appropriate options.

In addition to things that you can buy, we’re also including some thoughtful, intangible sympathy gift ideas that are a great way to show love and support in meaningful ways.

Let’s take a look.

20 Sympathy Gifts for Loss of Child

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Our selection of gifts for parents who have lost a child are organized below in ascending order of age:

• Infant
• Young Child
• Teen
• Adult Child

Of course, many of these ideas can be used no matter the child’s age or stage in life. But we hope this is helpful.

Loss of Infant Sympathy Gifts

Even the tiniest of footprints leave a mark on this world. Here is a selection of sympathy gifts appropriate for infant loss and miscarriage.

1. Angel’s Embrace Willow Tree

This beautiful Willow Tree figure will serve to remind your loved ones that their precious baby is forever safe and cared for in Heaven.

Beautifully crafted and hand painted, it stands 5″ tall and is a cast of the original carving by renowned artist Susan Lordi.

Related: The 10 Best Willow Tree Sympathy Gifts

2. Memorial Bird Feeder

This personalized memorial bird feeder is a great gift idea for encouraging your loved one to venture outside… or just to get their mind off things for a little while.

What makes this bird feeder unique over others is the fact that it comes personalized with the name and dates of their son or daughter.

Besides the engraved poem you see above, several other memorial themes and designs are available (over 25, including fishing, butterflies, horses, and more).

The feeder is constructed of sturdy cedar wood, acrylic front and back panels, and measures 7″ x 4.75″ x 10.5″. It’s our most popular memorial, a truly thoughtful sympathy gift for someone who lost a child.

3. Framed Butterfly Tree

A one-of-a-kind gift perfect for a nursery memorial. This pretty handmade butterfly tree features 3D pearlescent paper butterflies nestled in a sturdy white frame along with your precious one’s name.

It’s available in two different sizes with several different primary colors. There are wording options to choose from as well, and personalization is included in your order.

4. Baby’s Breath Miscarriage Pendant

The death of a child is felt heavily in our hearts, no matter if they were with us for three months, three years, or three decades.

This particular pendant honors those precious souls that left us before we could hold them in our arms, though we hold them in our hearts.

The simple stems of Baby’s Breath flowers represent innocence and everlasting love, making a beautiful memorial jewelry piece.

5. Carved Baby Blocks

These beautifully carved little blocks are wonderful memorial keepsakes. You can customize them with your angel baby’s name, birth flower and more.

Each block is custom made to order of the highest quality birch hardwood, and they can serve as that special, lasting memorial for your loved little one.

Crafted by hand by a skilled artisan, these blocks are the perfect mementos to hold your precious memories until you can hold them in your arms again.

6. Forever In Our Hearts Ornament

This sweet memorial ornament is a small but thoughtful gift for grieving parents. Having little reminders during the holidays of those we’ve lost is a way to keep them close.

This pretty piece isn’t just for the holidays, but can be hung in a window all year long as a sun catcher.

7. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star… The beloved children’s nursery rhyme is turned into a precious memorial for your dear little one who is now a twinkling star in the night sky.

The delicate shadow box is lovingly crafted and outfitted with twinkle lights, and is available in soft grey, black, or white.

You can also personalize the sentiment and add your sweet baby’s name, as well as choose the color of the heart.

8. Little Bird Art Print

Just because they left too soon doesn’t mean they weren’t part of the family tree. This beautiful yet bittersweet art print pictures a little white dove flying away from the family tree towards the heavens.

Their family name and the names of each family member, including their little dove, are placed at the bottom of the print.

9. Praying Angel Dish Garden

Rather than traditional memorial flowers, perhaps go for something more lasting like this beautiful dish garden.

While flowers fade and wilt (often an unwelcome reminder of the loss of life) dish gardens like this one, potted in a sweet praying angel planter, continue to thrive and grow. Much like our memories and love for those we’ve lost.

10. A Shoulder to Cry On

There is nothing more painful than the loss of a child. When that child is an infant, or was lost at birth or by miscarriage, the pain can be even more unbearable. It means that a precious life was taken before it could even begin.

Perhaps the best gift you can offer your loved one at this time is simply your presence.

Because sometimes, the best gifts for parents who have lost a child are not necessarily the ones that are purchased.

Be their shoulder to cry on, offer to watch the other children for a day or two, do their grocery shopping, help take care of the house. Keep a caring eye on them for as long as need be.

For more tips on caring for someone who is grieving, see here.

Loss of Young Child Sympathy Gifts

Here are some sympathy gift ideas for parents specifically grieving the loss of a young child.

11. Hugs From Heaven Throw

Some parents appreciate a meaningful gift with the child’s name, photo, or ultrasound image. Others will appreciate something that shows your care and support.

This Hugs From Heaven throw is a perfect example of the latter. Send them a child loss sympathy gift that conveys your thoughts and prayers and well wishes through the warm embrace of a cozy blanket.

This particular blanket is available in pink, blue, or white.

12. Child Loss Memorial Lantern

A flickering light is the perfect representation of the spirit of an eternal flame that can never be extinguished.

This lovely lantern, complete with flickering LED light, will gently remind your loved ones of this as they begin their grief journey following the loss of their young one.

This white metal lantern measures 10″ x 4.75″ x 4.75″ and includes a sweet saying on the front glass panel.

13. Inside Our Hearts Chime

The sound of this sweet decorative chime will bring peace, serenity, and comfort to their hearts.

As beautiful to look at as it is to hear, each tube and the delicate plaque at the top bear the sentiment “In angels’ arms you were taken away…inside our hearts you will always stay.”

14. Mommy of an Angel Necklace

Angel wings surround a heart-shaped stone, serving as a delicate reminder of her everlasting love for her child.

This memorial necklace is a reminder that she can keep close to her heart and take with her wherever she goes.

Choose between five different pendant lengths as well as finish.

15. Donate to a Children’s Charity in Their Child’s Name

What better way to honor a child’s life than to help another child in need? You can do so by opting to donate to a children’s charity.

If you need help picking one out, check out this list of ten popular children’s charities.

16. Always in My Heart Morse Code Bracelet

If you are looking for sympathy gifts for someone who lost a child, and you prefer one that’s both unexpected and unique, then consider a beautiful Morse Code bracelet.

With its sweet, hidden message this memorial bracelet will be a touching reminder to your loved ones whenever they wear it. The stones in the bracelet spell out “Always in My Heart,” in code so this piece is both subtle and meaningful.

17. Until I Hold You Tea Light Sign

Little memorial signs like this always make excellent sympathy gifts for grieving parents as they are small, but hold a special presence.

This beautiful display which reads, “I will hold you in my heart until I can hold you again in heaven” can be personalized with their son or daughter’s name. You can also choose from either a traditional votive or flameless candle to light the sign.

18. Memorial Garden Stone

If their lost child loved the outdoors and playing in the sunshine, then perhaps this memorial garden slate would be the right choice for them.

Beautifully cut from natural slate, each garden stone is printed with the sentiment, “May the winds of Heaven blow softly and whisper in your ear how much we love and miss you and wish you were here.”

You can also have it personalized with their child’s name.

19. Register a Star in the Night Sky

Throughout many cultures and civilizations, stars have long represented the souls of those we’ve loved and lost. Carry on this tradition by having a star or constellation named in honor of their child.

This is an especially meaningful, sentimental gift and will touch their hearts. It comes with a certificate of registration as well as a star map to locate their twinkling light in the night sky.

20. The Giving Bear from Demdaco

Sometimes just having something to hold or hug helps to ease the pain of a child’s loss.

This sympathy teddy bear is specifically designed to provide comfort. With its extra long arms and weighted body, just one snuggle can do wonders. These bears are special gifts, too, as part of the proceeds are donated to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

Loss of Older Child or Teen Sympathy Gifts

The following ideas are gifts for parents who have lost a child who is a bit older or perhaps a teen.

21. Memorial Candle

If their son or daughter was the light of their life, then this memorial candle would be a perfect sympathy gift.

Lovingly and carefully crafted from terra cotta, it features the heartfelt sentiment, “In Memory…of a life so beautifully lived…a heart so deeply loved.” It comes beautifully packaged in a gift box and ready to present to the grieving family.

22. If Love Could Have Saved You Memorial Plaque

When searching online for sympathy gifts for teenagers, the results you find can, over time, become quite repetitive.

So for a unique gift for the loss of the a teen that also comes personalized, check out this floral heart memorial plaque from Northwest Gifts.

The plaque is made in the USA from birch ply and carefully stained alder wood. Includes a sweet quote and floral design surrounding their late teen’s name and dates.

It comes in two different sizes and arrives ready to hang on the wall.

23. The Book of Comforts

Anchored in Biblical truth, The Book of Comforts provides parents of older children – or anyone in the middle of a grief journey – real hope in the midst of their seemingly never-ending sorrow.

Devotional pieces, Scripture references and calming photos come together to help ease the pain and instill a sense of peace.

Related: 12 Stages of the Grieving Process (wait… there’s more than 5 stages?!?)

24. Letters to My Child in Heaven

When dealing with any loss, it can help to write out thoughts and feelings in a journal.

This keeps the grieving person from being bottled up inside, causing stress and even physical illness. Especially if a child has died, taking that heavy weight off the mind and putting it on paper can be therapeutic.

Help your loved one begin to process the loss of their teen by gifting them these Letters to My Son or Letters to My Daughter journals. Each journal contains 224 sheets of lined paper and measures 5.5″ x 8.25″.

If you go with this gift, be sure to add some high-quality writing pens like these.

25. Hummingbird Memorial Ornament

These pretty little memorial ornaments are so sweet and so special, and they make wonderful gifts.

The rustic metal hummingbird is handcrafted with care, and attached to the top is the thoughtful sentiment “May the jingling of a bell remind you of the love that surrounds you.”

Accompanying this lovely piece is a beautiful watercolor card that can be personalized with the sympathy message of your choice on the inside.

Loss of Adult Child Sympathy Gifts

Grief doesn’t lessen just because the child who’s passed was an adult. Here are some sympathy gift ideas for the bereaved parent of an adult child.

26. Plant a Tree in Their Memory

Memorial trees are wonderful sympathy gifts for parents who have lost a child as they have a constant, ever-growing impact.

Each memorial tree dedication plants one sapling in a national forest, working towards a common reforestation goal. They each come with a certificate and location map so the family can find their sapling and visit it if they wish.

It’s a beautiful gift that keeps giving.

27. Memorial Wind Chimes

In the midst of grief, going outside for a breath of fresh air can make all the difference in how one feels.

If you know someone who is bereaved over the loss of their adult child, encourage them to get out and feel the breeze by gifting them this beautiful memorial wind chime.

Even if it’s just to sit on the porch for a few minutes, time spent out in the sunshine can do wonders for the soul.

This particular chime is personalized with their child’s name (differentiating it from the more decorative chime earlier on this list), and finished in a walnut stain.

28. Personalized Walnut Wood Memory Box

When you’re searching for gifts for parents who have lost an adult child, you may think that your options are limited.

Consider this stunning black walnut wood memorial keepsake box. It’s made in the USA and includes a customizable engraving for the lid.

The box makes a wonderful sympathy gift that also serves as a memorial to your loved one’s child. Within the interior they can keep photos, notes, cards, jewelry or other mementos safe and secure.

29. Here for You Care Package

Wonderful condolence gifts don’t necessarily have to be memorial gifts.

What I mean is, you don’t have to give your loved one a gifts that reminds them of their late child every time they see it (even if sweetly). Instead, you can opt to get them something they themselves can enjoy, or can use as self-care.

Like these care package for someone who lost a child. The one shown above is The Zinnia, a customizable bath package that you can “build” yourself. Fill it with your choice of bath bombs, body oil, bath soak, a pillow mist, a candle, nutritious snacks and more.

Here for You specializes in sympathy care packages filled with practical items. Ideal for when someone is just too overwhelmed to even consider a trip to the grocery store, you can instead send them things like paper plates and other household necessities.

Care packages are excellent child loss gifts, letting the parents know you care for them even though you may be far away.

30. Make a Home-Cooked Meal

Anyone who’s ever dealt with the loss of a loved one knows that eating can be a difficult thing to accomplish, and even easier to forget to do.

For your loved one who’s grieving the loss of their child, making them a nutritious, home-cooked meal may be better for them than anything you could buy.

After all, gifts for bereaved parents can come in many forms. Whatever you come up with, they will appreciate your gesture of friendship, love, and support.

Related: How to support a friend on the anniversary of their loved one’s death

Memorial Gifts for Loss of Son

Here are more ideas for gifts to give someone who lost a son.

• Sympathy card with a memory, story, or photo of the son that the parents might not have
• Teddy bear made from the boy’s clothing
• Jewelry personalized with son’s name, photo, or fingerprint
• Photo frame or photo album
• Gift card for a favorite restaurant

More: The 10 Best Gifts for Parents Who Have Lost a Son

Memorial Gifts for Loss of Daughter

Consider these ideas as you search for the perfect gift for someone who lost a daughter.

• Handwritten letter or card that tells a story about their daughter
• Photo book filled with pictures of the daughter
• Make a memory jar
• Create a memorial quilt from her clothing
• Write a special message expressing your love and support to the grieving parents

More: The 10 Best Gifts for Parents Who Have Lost a Daughter

What to Do for Someone Who Lost a Child

There are many other meaningful gestures to help, support, and express sympathy towards the grieving mother and father.

• Visit them
• Listen
• Ask to hear stories about their child
• Bring flowers
• Help with errands or yardwork
• Offer to make (or receive) phone calls on their behalf
• Organize a meal train
• Babysit their other children
• If they have pets, offer to pet sit
• Plant a tree in memory of the child in your yard or in the forest, and send a photo to the parents
• Help with the memorial service
• Make a charitable donation in the child’s name
• Offer to sit with them at church
• Create and share an uplifting music playlist
• Drop off a small care package on their porch
• Get active together: Go for a walk, hike, or jog
• Get chill together: Watch a movie, go sit at the beach, or sit and talk
• Create a free memorial website to honor their little one
• Paint, draw, or sculpt artwork in memory of the child
• Give a gift card for a massage or spa

What Should I Say to Someone Who Has Just Lost Their Child?

Now that we’ve taken a look at some of the best sympathy gifts for parents who have lost a child child, let’s consider what you can actually say to someone who’s currently going through this unimaginable grief.

It’s impossible to know what this person is experiencing in this tough time, even if you’ve gone through that kind of loss yourself.

For this reason, you are probably wondering what you could say to offer to condolences on the loss of a son or daughter.

Here are some helpful tips.

First, assess the situation.

If they are overcome with sadness right now, it could be that speaking is not occurring to any extent. In this case, you can simply offer your presence.

Give them a tight hug. Be a calm space for them to just let it all out. If you feel like it, it’s even okay to cry with them.

“I’m so very sorry for your loss.“

It may be a common saying, but when said sincerely, “I’m sorry for your loss” says it all.

“What can I do to help you right now?”

Let them know you are available whenever/if ever they need anything in the days to come.

“I just wanted to check in on you, see how you’re doing.”

This is appropriate in the days and weeks following their child’s funeral. Time is going to be a blur for them and they may need/want someone to call or visit every now and then.

What Not to Say

We’ve offered some tips on what to say to a parent who is grieving; now let’s go over what you really shouldn’t be saying:

“He/she is in a better place.”

While it may come from a sincere heart, in the minds of the mother and father, there is no better place for their child than back in their arms.

“It was their time to go.”

Saying this doesn’t do a service to anyone, especially if the child was lost to an accident.

“I don’t know how you’re staying so strong.”

They don’t know either. Staying busy/going through the motions right now may be the only thing keeping them from losing it.

“At least you have the others,” or “You can always have another one.”

As in, another child? This one should go without saying. Just no.

“I know exactly how you feel.”

While you may have been through a similar loss (and may even be experiencing painful flashbacks during this time), be respectful of the fact that the loss of this child is a new, and unique, experience.

Read more: 101 Condolence Messages to Express Your Sympathy & Support

At a Loss for the Right Words?

Like we mentioned above, if you know someone who’s just lost their child, you may be feeling at a loss for words.

And that’s okay.

Your impulse to give a sympathy gift is on the right track. Sometimes, a simple gesture is just as meaningful as any words could be and is a beautiful way to show your support.

A shoulder to cry on, a sympathy card sent in the mail, or a thoughtful gift offered at just the right time can go a long way in showing the grieving parent that you’re there for them.

More Gifts for Parents Who Have Lost a Child

• 10 Heartwarming Sympathy Gifts for a Grieving Friend
• 50 Best Sympathy Gifts for Someone Who Is Grieving
• Memorial Gift Ideas from Northwest Gifts
• Sympathy Gifts Collection from Urns Northwest
• Meaningful Sympathy Gifts from Etsy