Loss of a Pet: Explaining Grief and Loss to Children

Pets create great experiences for children: in taking responsibility, learning to love, care for living things and, dealing with loss and grief. Whether their pet has to move, runs away, gets sick or, dies; children will benefit from reading this book over and over again to help them cope, with loss and grief, as they experience it now and over time. Teaching children that it is okay to express their feelings of love, sadness, regret, guilt, anger, confusion and despair is made easier as it is normalized through Loss of a Pet. Often they will come back and re-explore the topic again and again until they reach acceptance. As children grow they will experience all types of grief and each time they will experience it differently, it is the hope of this author that Loss of a Pet creates the foundation of healthy discussions now and in the future.About this Author:Cory O’Neal has been a K-8th grade counselor for 18 years, earning a Masters in Counseling and a Masters in Psychology towards her MFT. As a mother of four and nana to two she shares her experience dealing with her own grief and that of her children’s after losing pets over the years. She has come to discover it helps to have a story so a child can explore at their own pace, in an indirect way, with the space to express feelings, and ask questions. This book is dedicated in loving memory of Ikea, Capone, Bear, Vito and Todd, they all had great long lives that brought her family much joy and laughter.The stages of grief are often referred to in 5 stages: anger, denial, bargaining, sadness, and acceptance. These emotions don’t fall neatly into a checklist. They can happen all at once, in direct succession or sometimes not at all. There is no “right or wrong way to grieve”. Having adults to listen, share, and empathize; encourages communication, acceptance and allows children to name and express their feelings in healthy ways.Copyright 2020 all rights reserved.