For most families, a pet is part of the family. Dealing with the loss can be difficult for everyone, but particularly challenging for children. Helping children through the grieving process, even teaching that it is ok to grieve, is essential for healing.

Three Activities to Help Children with the Loss of a Pet

1. Plan a Funeral: Having a memory-filled, uplifting ceremony will help children understand that while the pet is no longer physically present, this special loved one will be with the child forever through memories. It is also an opportunity to say goodbye.
2. Create Art Together: Children sometimes don’t have an ability, or have yet to develop a way, to express their emotions. Art is a wonderful way for children to work through their feelings. Spending quiet time with a child creating a picture allows a child to freely express what he is feeling about the loss.
3. Write a Story: A younger child can dictate the story to the parent or an older child can write it herself. Writing is another way for a child to express feelings of sadness from the loss. The story can be a work of fiction about the pet or a special memory the child would like to write about. The child could even write a story about the pet’s activities in heaven.

Being mindful that grieving is a process and has no set deadline is important when dealing with a loss. A child might seem to be coping well for weeks and then have a difficult few days. Continue to monitor your child’s emotional state and be ready to introduce activities to help a child to process the feelings. And, the most important thing a parent can do during this time is to simply listen and be present in the moment.

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