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Losing a Pet
Tips for Soothing Kids' Grief By Jennifer Lacey
Be Honest and Keep Things "Normal"Honesty is the best policy,says Thomas M. Reimers, a licensed clinical psychologist and director of the Feeding and Growth Clinic at Children's Hospital in Omaha, Neb. "Children may think that the animal will return, or have 
some other fanciful idea about what happened to the animal," he says."Parents need to be honest by telling their child that the animal has died and will not come back."
Keeping your child's typical everyday routine is vital during your time of loss. "Children feel most secure when their routines are the same and predictable; this will create increased security on the part of the child," Reimers says.
When your child learns about the concept of death when a pet passes away, it will not, however, lessen the impact of how much it hurts to lose something they loved. Make sure that your little one knows that there are many ways that he or she can remember their special companion.
Creating a memory book of special times shared not only can help to explain the joys and sorrows of life and death, but can provide comfort and healing during a difficult time. "Young children often gravitate naturally to the arts and crafts, and can use their favorite craft activities at moments of distress to express their feelings," Newman and Shellmer say. They maintain that children often work out their emotioal concerns also through other types of "play behavior, hence encouraging your child to express himself of herself in these mediums can also be beneficial."
