Losing a Pet: Why It's Painful, and How to Help Your Child Cope

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Pets, no matter what they are, are considered to be everyone's best friend. Pets bring more than just companionship. They bring comfort, love, and a reason to be thankful for life. When our pets die, we tend to feel sad and would grieve for our loss, just like when we lose a human person that we love. While this can be very heartbreaking to us, it can be more heartbreaking to children and young adults. Children tend to have a small emotional span and they get sad easily even in the smallest things, and parents should be sensitive enough to show empathy to them. 

Children grow close to pets

When you have pets at home and your children have grown fond of them, you should expect that they will be very sad if the time comes that their pets will have to have their peaceful sleep. Whether it's a small fish in a fishbowl or a big, fluffy dog, children grow attached to their pets one way or another. 

Parents should also be able to understand that their children, no matter how young they are, are capable of feeling strong emotions such as sadness and grief. When they lose a pet, it would crash their hearts in a thousand pieces. However, if this happens, always be there for them and sympathize with them. Make them understand that life is a cycle and it is normal to grieve for things that we lose. However, teach them how to be OK and cope up with their loss in the healthiest, most positive way possible. 

Let them understand that there is nothing permanent in this world

Pets bring such joy to our lives, just like the type of joy that your children will bring to you. Keeping pets teaches children to live a life that is blessed and happy. It also teaches them how to care for others, how to be responsible in taking care of pets and loved ones, and be organized. However, what parents should let their children understand and realize that there is nothing permanent in this world. There are things that go first and would leave us feeling torn apart. But this does not mean our life should be over as well. Let your child see the light and think of happy memories and lessons that their pets have taught them. 

Getting attached can hurt

Everyone who is attached to something will most likely tend to get hurt if they lose them. This is the same thing as when your child loses their pet. Everything that we loved and has grown fond of will either make or break us or both. However, the most important thing that you need to teach your child when they lose a pet is that life still goes on. It might be difficult for them to surpass this heartbreak but it's not impossible for them to accept it and move on. 

Let them feel what they want to feel

Parents tend to worry immediately when they see their child feeling sad about their loss and they find it hard to cope up with it themselves. Parents should understand the concept of time and space and should give it to their child. Give them the right and permission to feel emotions that they need to feel for them to cope up with the pain. Make them feel that it's OK if they feel sad, especially if you have little boys. Always remember that when sadness is denied, anger can be built and would become an uncontrollable behaviour when it happens again in the long run.