Grieving For a Pet

The loss of a family pet can leave a household in a state of grief for weeks. Children are especially hard hit by the loss of a pet and need special care and attention during this important event in their life. It is a parent's responsibility to use the sad occasion to impart important life lessons to the child.

The first thing a parent needs to do is show the child that it's OK to be sad and to grieve. Many parents make the mistake of trying to down play the death by acting as if nothing has happened. This is not what the child needs to learn. He needs to learn that it's perfectly fine and normal to be affected by the loss of something they cared a great deal about. Parents should not be afraid to let the children see their sadness or their tears. Once children realize that they aren't the only ones who feel the loss, the healing process can begin.

Very young children, those below the age of five, will have no concept of death and probably aren't ready to deal with death's permanence. But they can be made to understand that the pet will not return and that everyone is saddened by that. Children this age may also prone to blaming themselves for the pet's disappearance and need to be assured that they had nothing to do with what happened. Here are a few things you should do to ease the transition for young children.

If the children are old enough to be in school, you should inform the teacher what happened so they can be especially sensitive to any behavioral issues the child may develop.

Do not immediately get another pet to try to distract the child. The child needs to understand the meaning of permanence and that the pet will not return. Eventually the child will express interest in getting another pet and at this point it's fine to do so.

Try to get the child to talk about what they understand has happened. Talking is always a good way to ease pain and the child likely has many questions that perhaps they are afraid to ask.

Children are able to understand more than we give them credit for understanding. Speaking with them seriously about the loss of a pet can go a long way towards alleviating their fears and guilt and getting over the loss of their friend.

This article was provided by Josh Hall of Pet-Super-Store.com, where you can find the Garmin Astro and Tri-tronics products.