Many households consider pets as part of the family with some pets creating a special bond with the children. When this pet dies, it’s understandably devastating for the kids. It may raise a lot of questions that sometimes parents aren’t able to properly handle when the kids mourn the lost of their furry best friend. Here are some tips by experts on what to do when your child’s favorite pet dies:

Honesty is always the best policy. Telling the child stories and euphemistic descriptions of what happened to the dog will only confuse them. However, take notice of how the child reacts and consider his or her level of understanding. The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement says that the ages between 7 and 9 is most crucial since this is the age kids tend to ask more questions and wonder about their own mortality. The death can also trigger worries that other loved-ones may die and it’s best to reassure the child that this isn’t always the case with people.

Let the child grieve in his or her own way. But it may be helpful to also talk to the child and let them understand what this sadness is. To fully achieve closure, it’s also good to hold a simple memorial service which can be done creatively. By having the child participate in marking the gravesite, it helps him handle the loss and framing his thoughts correctly.

Losing somebody they love is difficult for children but if done right, they can emerge in this better and stronger and more positive.

Children get scared when they witness a fight between their parents. For one thing, seeing a parent lose emotional control leaves a child feeling vulnerable. Beyond that, kids often feel responsible for their parents’ disagreements, even when the fight doesn’t involve them. Children also worry in a very concrete way about what will happen to their own life if their parents don’t get along.

The flip side, however, is that children benefit enormously by seeing that their parents still love each other, even after a bad fight. It’s valuable for children to see that if parents are headstrong, lose their tempers, and make mistakes, they can say “I lost it, I’m sorry” When they see their parents emerge from a fight and listen to each other respectfully, they learn that it’s okay for people to have differences. And when they see their parents talking about feelings, they learn to do the same.

Even when their parents are great role models, however, children may still need to be drawn out if they seem upset after an argument.Parents should know how to talk and explain to their children that sometimes people get mad, but still talk about their feelings and work it out. Children should also learn the value of forgiveness. They should know that forgiveness can make things alright, it’s a part of the natural sequence of fight and that, as scary as fights can be, all loving people have them. Parents should learn to humble themselves infront of their child and learn to say sorry.

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