Pets are like family to us. Whether it's a puppy or a cat, they rely on us. Especially for children, pets are like their siblings, growing up with them and protecting them. Pets also help children release their excess energy and play with them. If your pet has sadly passed away, your child may not be able to accept it. It's important to recognize the emotions of their loss, and that grief is a separate, unacknowledged process. If your child is often inexplicably caught up in grief after the death of a pet, remember not to blame them. Try to communicate with them and make them understand that feelings of sadness, guilt or anger are normal. In this article, we describe some ways to help children cope with their grief after pet loss.
1. Communicate with your child
Help your child understand death. Children under the age of 5 may not understand death yet, but children between the ages of 5 and 8 understand that death is irreversible. Telling your child directly that the pet died and will never come back may be difficult for a young child to understand. You can tell him that the pet has gone to another happy place to be reunited with its family and that it will live a happier life there. Guide your children to express their feelings directly and understand their questions about the passing of their pet so that you can better guide them out of this sadness or inner turmoil. After a pet passes away, children often feel self-conscious, lonely, and guilty because they didn't take care of them. Tell them that all these emotions are normal and there is no need to be anxious or panicky and face them correctly. Let your child be brave enough to say what they are feeling inside. Parents are the best role models for children. Likewise, in the family, parents are the ones who know their children's personalities best.
2. Find some books to read about pet loss
Talking directly to children about death can sometimes be very difficult. We recommend some pet loss books for children to read. These books will explain pet death in various ways that children can understand. "Dog Heaven" written by Cynthia Ryland is a book written about deceased dogs. Dog Heaven is an ideal place for passed-away dogs. If your child has just lost a dog, he will know his lovely dog goes to another place. " The Rainbow Bridge" written by Adrian Raeside is another recommended book. The protagonist of the story-Rick just lost his dog. One day, he happened to enter heaven where his deceased dog has a great time here. He had fun with his dog in this heaven.
3. Read some pet loss quotes
Losing a pet can be hard in a long time for both adults and children, read some quotes about pet loss can make you and your children feel less upset.
- " The more I see of them, the more I admire dogs"
- " The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too." by Samuel Butler Butler
- " A dog is a man's best friend." Unknown
4. Memorize the lost pet with your children together
When your child is grieving the loss of a pet, there are things you can do together to memorialize the pet. For example, you can plant a memorial tree together, which can be named after your puppy. Change the wallpaper on your family's computer desktop and cell phone to a picture of your pet; create a pet zone in your home with some of your pet's toys, ashes, its paw prints, and so on. Let your children know that pets don't leave us forever, they just accompany us in a different way. You can have kids draw pictures of their pets and write down what they want to say to them. Or write a card or a letter for a pet that has died. You can also work together to create an online memorial ceremony, make a video to honor the lost pet.
5. Get memorial gifts for your children
Get a pet memorial stone in the garden or yard, and personalize the pet memorial stone with a photo and memorial words you want to say. Or get a pet urn necklace, a pet urn keychain, which has been used to memorialize your pet. Get a pet urn necklace, or pet urn keychain, which can be used to hold a small amount of cremated ashes. Wearing a pet urn necklace is a perfect way to let a deceased pet keep close to us wherever we go.
6. Help children look forward to the future
Separation and hurt can't take over our lives forever, we need to guide our children to look forward to the new future. It's not just about the children, it's about the family. We can plan a family trip to take the children's minds off their grief and guide them to develop new hobbies to fill the void of the loss of their pet. When appropriate, a new pet can be offered, but remember to use a euphemism. For example, if a friend has a new puppy at their house, ask your child if they would like to visit. Of course, the child's opinion on whether or not to get a new pet needs to be fully respected.
