Pets - What to Do When Your Child Loses Their Best Friend

Children and pets seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. Sometimes they grow up together, but normally there's a special bond between them that's similar to what a child feels for their parent or grandparents. When a pet dies, it's important to realize that your child is in pain. Here are some things you can do when your child loses their best friend.

* Children need to understand that most animals have a shorter lifespan than humans. It's important when your child gets a pet to teach them as much as you can about that type of animal, including what their average lifespan is. When the inevitable day comes, you can remind your child that their pet lived a long and happy life because they were a part of your child's life.

* Let your child know that their pet's death is not their fault. Reassure your child that they were not responsible for the death, that the animal was older and its heart stopped beating. There wasn't anything they could have done to change matters.

* When a loved person dies we honor them with a funeral. It might be a good idea to have something similar for much-loved pet. Have your family gather together and remember the good things about the pet. Let the child plan the service to commemorate their pet how they think is best.

* Put together a photo album with various pictures of your child's pet. This will give them something to look at to help them remember their pet when they start missing it. Your child may even want to write a short story or poem to include in their photo album to express how they felt about their animal.

* Make a special gift to help other animals, such as a gift to the ASPCA in the name of your pet. By doing this, your child can feel good about doing something that will help other animals find loving homes to live in.

* Allow your child time to grieve. Don't tell them that it's silly to cry, in fact be honest about how you feel about the loss. It will help your child learn to grieve if they see you do it, too.

* Encourage them to talk about how they feel. Tell them it's OK if they don't want to talk about it right after the pet dies, but that you're available to listen if they do want to talk.

* Wait until your child has had a chance to grieve before buying them a new pet. A new pet can't replace their old one, but it may help ease the pain somewhat. Again, teach your child about the pet and how long it is expected to live. They may have to go through the process of losing a pet again, but there is a lot of love they can enjoy in the meantime.

Losing a pet is never easy because they give us so much unconditional love. How children react to the death of a pet will help them deal with the death of a human loved one in the future. These tips for helping your child when they lose their best friend may give you the information you need to make the process easier for them.

If you enjoyed this article, please visit the The Parenting Magazine for more. The Parenting Magazine is a popular online publication providing useful parenting information on pets for kids, infant care, child care, child safety, child education, child development, child behavior problems, kids activities and even great food recipes for kids!