Both Shannon and I dearly love our pets. Her family currently has two cats and a dog. My family has two dogs and recently had to say goodbye to our cat, Percy, who lived to be 15 years old. Our kids have grown up with pets in the house, and they’ve all been members of the family.
So, we will not sugarcoat it by saying that it’s always joyful. Because when a pet dies, it is gut-wrenching — on parents and on kids. Sometimes a parent’s grief for the pet is compounded by the grief we see our kids endure. Is the pain worth the love of a wonderful pet? In our view, absolutely.
But it’s good to have guidance from experts on how to handle it when you have to break the news of a pet’s death to your kids. When you know what to expect and how to prepare to give that news, you won’t feel as “on the spot” when your kids have questions or big feelings.
We found this GREAT list of “6 Tips for Handling Pet Loss with Children” on the UCLA Health website. It’s a short but well-written guide for getting through this very difficult event. We hope you’ll bookmark it in case you need it in the future.
Now, go love your fur babies. We are so lucky and blessed to have them.
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