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How To Comfort Your Child Over Loss Of Pet
The death of a pet is usually the first experience that a child has with death. With the way that society is today, children usually form an even tighter bond with their pet and thus their passing will have a great impact upon them. To them, the death of a pet is like losing a best friend. Of course, this is why it is so difficult to explain a pet's death to your child. With this in mind, here are some tips that will help you help your child work through their grief whenever they do lose a pet:
1. You need to be honest. Do not tell your child that your pet ran away or went to live with someone else.
2. Do not tell your child that their pet was "put to sleep." Your child may then think their pet may wake up again or become scared thinking that they too will die in their sleep.
3. Read a children's book with your child that talks about the death of a pet. This will help your child see that others also grieve in this way.
4. Tell your child that they can cry and be upset. Let them know that you are also sad. Talk about this instead of ignoring it.
5. Work with your child to come up with a way to memorialize your pet.
6. Discuss your faith and your beliefs about death. Tell your child how happy your pet will now be in Heaven with God. Do not tell your child that God took their pet away though as they may then grow scared that they will also be taken away from you.
7. Choose the time when you tell your child about your pet's death wisely. You will want to choose a time when you can talk about it and allow your child to grieve privately.
8. Do not rush into replacing your pet. Allow time for grieving before speaking about a new pet so that your child does not mistakenly come to believe that people can be replaced too.
If your pet has not yet passed away, then it is a good
idea to speak about the possibility of your pet's death ahead of time. Tell your child that pets do not live as long as humans so that they will not be too shocked whenever their pet does pass away.
Regardless as to when you do get a chance to speak with your child about your pet's death, it is important to understand that every child will react differently. Some children will cry, others will rage and some may even hold their feelings inside. Therefore, you should speak to each child privately if at all possible.
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