The death of a loved one. It’s something that none of us like to face and yet, it’s a part of life. And when that loved one happens to be a pet, it can oftentimes be really challenging for your children to emotionally process (especially if they’ve never lost anyone before).

Our dog, who passed away nearly 2 years ago. We still miss him.

Thankfully, there are some things that you can do that will help your kids to better cope with the loss of a family pet. If you’d like to know what some of those tips are, here are five supportive methods to keep in mind.

Listen to them. If you’ve ever had someone close to you die, then you know what it’s like to be filled with all kinds of emotions. You also know how important it is to simply have a listening ear available. Although it can be hard to see your children hurting, try and not focus so much on “fixing it” for them. Instead, provide lots of hugs and kisses and more than anything, your willingness to listen to whatever it is that your children have to say about what they are going through.

Answer any question they may have. Death can be really hard to understand. This means that during your children’s grieving time, there’s a pretty good chance that they are going to have a lot of questions. Ones like “Why did our dog have to die?” and “Where do dogs go when they die?” Sometimes, providing explanations can be difficult. If you go to your local library or even an online book website like Barnes and Noble, you should be able to find books that will help you to address any concerns your kids may have surrounding the issue.
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