Books to Help Children Grieve the Death of a Pet

There are many ways you can tell your child that a pet has died from using a soothing voice or finding a comfortable and familiar place to tell them but the most important thing is to be honest. Trying to protect them with vague and inaccurate explanations can create more anxiety, confusion and mistrust.

Children often have questions like:

Why did my pet die?

Is it my fault?

Where does my pet’s body go to? Will I ever see my pet again?

If I wish hard enough and am really good can I make my pet come back?

Does death last forever?

It is important to answer such questions simply, but honestly.

Your child may experience sadness, anger, fear, denial, and guilt when their pet dies or they may suddenly become jealous of friends who have pets.

Let your child know it’s perfectly normal to miss their pet after they die and encourage them to come to you with questions or for reassurance and comfort whenever they feel sad or overwhelmed.

 

Read More …. Books to Help Children Grieve the Death of a Pet. – Sue Atkins The Parenting Coach (sueatkinsparentingcoach.com)

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Everyone is different.

I remember a time when I was teaching a Circle Time lesson on healthy eating when something came up about the death of one of the children’s hamsters which naturally led to talking about the death of one of the children’s grandparents.

It was a really moving but healing lesson that caught me by surprise but because I felt very comfortable talking about these issues the children all joined in and supported each other and learned that healing from grief can be painful and slow but something we all experience. By letting the boy talk openly and by acknowledging the grief we all learned a great deal.

Little ones may not understand what it even means to die, or why it must happen. These stories start with clear facts, introduced with compassion.

Check out some of my favourite picks for helping children to grieve the death of their pet.

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