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#MondayMourning: Kids & Pet Loss

This is the side of National Love Your Pet Day that no one wants to face. With love comes grief and loss, especially for our little buddies with shorter life spans.

One of the hardest things a parent has to do is tell their child their beloved pet is dying or has died. It's human nature to try and protect them from such pain, but handling the situation with care and honesty helps equip children with the tools and proper mindset to handle "bigger" deaths later in life. As long as you use age appropriate language, there's no reason why young children shouldn't be told about death.

I have a whoooole long blog post about talking to children about death and grief, but here are some of the quick highlights:

❌DON'T say the animal was "put to sleep," as children take it literally and misunderstand. They might become afraid of sleep or wonder why their pet isn't waking up.

✅DO recognize that they may be more impacted by the death of a pet than a human. Don't guilt or shame them if they show bigger emotions for their pet than for a relative.

❌DON'T lie about the pet running away rather than having an honest discussion about death. This can backfire when (not if) the child discovers that you lied. Besides, they'll still feel the pain of loss whether their pet is dead or "missing."

✅DO share your own feelings and show children what healthy grief looks like. Model coping mechanisms, share memories, and maybe work together to create a scrapbook or other memorial keepsake.

For my comprehensive guide to kids and grief, visit:
https://www.louisepachella.com/blog/kidsandgrief

For an article specifically about kids and pet loss, visit:
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/pet-death.html

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