Helping Children Cope With Pet Loss - 3 Tips to Help Infants and Children Up to Three Years

The subject of death and dying can be a very challenging topic for a parent to help a child understand. When a family pet dies, this is usually the first time a child has experienced death. Infants and children up to age three will probably not understand what the death of a pet means, but, can easily pick up the unease, stress, and emotions other family members are feeling.

How a child sees others nearby handle a pet's death will have long term consequences of their view of death and dying. It is okay to show your feelings of pain and sorrow by crying, but, the feelings should be controlled, and viewed as a natural reaction to the loss of a loved one. A good approach is to be honest about describing the finality of death, and to use the words "death and dying."

In helping children cope with a pet loss, it is important to recognize that a child does not have enough experience in life to fully understand the concept of death. A simple explanation stating that the pet has died and will not return, is all that is really needed. The child should be reassured that nothing he/she said or did contributed to the death. A child may show signs of regressing such as a return to thumb sucking or have a temper tantrum. Some may have a nightmare or express fear that their parents will also die. These are all normal reactions to something that is unknown and new.

The following three tips can give ideas on how to handle a pet's death with children up to age three:

1) reassure the child by embracing and hugging him/her

2) try to maintain the day to day normal household routine

3) consider replacing the pet as a child in this age range can generally welcome a new pet quite readily

When there is a death of a pet and children are involved, special tact should be made to help them understand what is going on and that it is alright to cry and be upset.

Deborah A. is an animal lover with a special interest in helping others cope after the loss of a pet. Are you trying to move past the grief of your pet's death? CLICK HERE [http://www.petlosshelp.info] or go to: [http://www.petlosshelp.info] to get more tips and relief in coping with your pet loss.