432 sats \ 4 replies \ @grayruby 3 Feb \ on: Dealing with Dog Loss with a Little Kid Dogs_And_Cats
Ugh this is such a difficult problem. When we lost our guinea pig we told our daughter that Copper had to go to the vet because she wasn't well and she was too sick to come back.
Loss is really difficult to discuss with kids. Whether it be a pet or family member. It is actually a bit easier with little kids though. My wife's mom passed away almost two years ago and I had to tell my son because my wife was distraught and had to be the one to tell her dad. My son was 11 at the time so there was no "little kid" story I could make up to soften the blow, I just had to tell him. It broke his heart. I still get a little queasy thinking about it to be honest.
Being a parent can be excruciating at times. We love them beyond comprehension, want to protect them and never have them suffer and in times of loss when we have to tell them of the loss, we are the ones inflicting the suffering. Part of the job, I guess.
Fortunately being a parent is also the most rewarding job one can have.
The timing was just brutal. A few months earlier and I think she wouldn't have formed a strong attachment yet. A few months later and I think we could have talked to her about it.
But then I tell myself that if it had been a few months earlier she would have missed out on loving her dog (and I'm glad our dog finally got to experience some of the fun part of having a kid in the house). And, if it had been a few months later the loss would have been much more painful.
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That's the hope.
I'm sorry your son had to deal with his grandma's loss at that age. I was a few years younger when my grandpa died and honestly it barely registered. Then I was an adult when my other grandpa died, so I was able to handle it.
We're very fortunate in still having all four grandparents in the picture, but their ages and health are such that we know we might have to start dealing with that type of loss in the not super distant future.
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My heart broke for him. I lost my first grandparent around the same age he was but in my case my grandmother had been sick for awhile so it wasn't unexpected. In the case of my wife's mom it was a total shock. It is actually somewhat fortunate that it occurred while we were in Texas visiting and were able to extend our stay and help my wife's dad out.
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