The death of a pet may be one of the first times a child has dealt with a close loss. This can be especially difficult because of the close bond most children spend with their pet. Death is a hard concept for everyone, but for children it can be impossible to understand or accept without help and guidance. Below are five ways to help your child deal with losing a pet.
Ask your child about what they're feeling. They probably are experiencing a number of emotions and don't know what to think. Let them know that they are not alone and that how they are feeling is okay. Share how you are doing and talk about what your pet meant to all of you and how important they were. This helps your child remember their animal and that even with this loss, they aren't alone.
Give them a day off of school, day care, or whatever else. A big event like this can disrupt their life and make them feel insecure. Making them continue on without time to grieve and adjust to losing what was probably a close friend, will only lead to problems. Their normal routine probably involved the pet, even if it was just greeting them when they got home and the immediate disappearance of that can make the grief worse.
Have a ceremony for your pet. Celebrating the animal's life and it's passing can be a good way to bring some closure for a child. It shows appreciation for the pet and is a time for remembering and honoring the good times. Ask your child to lead the ceremony and come up with something to say about their pet, and creating a grave marker or a symbolic shrine.
Be ready to discuss the concept of death. Your child may now have a lot of questions about death and dying, this is natural. Don't ignore them or push away the questions, just find a way to explain things in simple terms. Talking about your religious or spiritual beliefs is a good way to help them understand from concepts they may know like heaven or some form of afterlife. If you do not feel fully equipped to talk to them, there are a number of others available such as counselors and even veterinarians.
Immediately replacing the pet is not a good idea. Though it may seem to be an easy solution to make your child happy again and distract them, a replacement pet can make things worse. This could make it seem like the pet that passed away way not special or important, and your child may even resent the new animal. Take some time before getting a new pet, and consider getting a different kind of animal, making sure to include your child in the process.
Ask your child about what they're feeling. They probably are experiencing a number of emotions and don't know what to think. Let them know that they are not alone and that how they are feeling is okay. Share how you are doing and talk about what your pet meant to all of you and how important they were. This helps your child remember their animal and that even with this loss, they aren't alone.
Give them a day off of school, day care, or whatever else. A big event like this can disrupt their life and make them feel insecure. Making them continue on without time to grieve and adjust to losing what was probably a close friend, will only lead to problems. Their normal routine probably involved the pet, even if it was just greeting them when they got home and the immediate disappearance of that can make the grief worse.
Have a ceremony for your pet. Celebrating the animal's life and it's passing can be a good way to bring some closure for a child. It shows appreciation for the pet and is a time for remembering and honoring the good times. Ask your child to lead the ceremony and come up with something to say about their pet, and creating a grave marker or a symbolic shrine.
Be ready to discuss the concept of death. Your child may now have a lot of questions about death and dying, this is natural. Don't ignore them or push away the questions, just find a way to explain things in simple terms. Talking about your religious or spiritual beliefs is a good way to help them understand from concepts they may know like heaven or some form of afterlife. If you do not feel fully equipped to talk to them, there are a number of others available such as counselors and even veterinarians.
Immediately replacing the pet is not a good idea. Though it may seem to be an easy solution to make your child happy again and distract them, a replacement pet can make things worse. This could make it seem like the pet that passed away way not special or important, and your child may even resent the new animal. Take some time before getting a new pet, and consider getting a different kind of animal, making sure to include your child in the process.
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