How to Tell Your Child That Your Pet Has Passed

Nothing is harder than losing your four-legged companion, and breaking the news to your child is the hardest part. Explaining things that are difficult for us to understand is ten times harder for those we want to protect from all harm. Even though nothing can take the pain away, there are ways to share the news with your children that are softer and more compassionate. The timing and the right words play a significant part and can make things a little easier when breaking the news.

Where?

When you feel it is the right time to tell your children that their beloved pet has passed on to dog heaven, choose a relaxing and comforting environment. The living room with a loud television on in the background is not the ideal setting. Distractions can only make it harder to sink in. Your child’s reading space, or any other corner in their bedroom, can make your child feel more secure.

Words

If you have more than one child with significant age gaps, you cannot use the same words to share the heartbreaking news. For the younger ones, terms such as dog heaven are the best way to try to make them understand what has happened. For the older children, explaining that he was very old and that it was their time to move on explains the situation best. Be honest and transparent, and express your emotions when you do so.

Questions

Encourage your children to ask questions. If anything is unclear, urge them to ask. The more they ask, the fewer questions they have, and the clearer things are, the easier it will be for them to accept the new reality. Emphasize your love for them and for the pet that had just died, and try to create a positive and supportive ambiance around them.

Memory

Get your children to express their feelings by creation. They can draw pictures of the loved pet, or plant some flowers in the back garden in memory of the pet. This will give your kids a feeling of a never-ending connection with their companion.

Support

Embrace the fact that grieving a loved animal can take time and that even if they seem to be OK about the big news you have just shared, this does not mean they are not hurting inside. They might suddenly understand what had happened and become seriously upset only days after. They may know and feel that they have support at home and that, no matter what, they always have someone to talk to.

Life

Explaining life’s ways is one of the biggest challenges we have as parents. There is no easy way to break such devastating news to small children, however, if done properly, it could make it just a little easier to digest. Put yourself in your child’s shoes for one moment, and choose the right words you would have wanted to hear.