To lie about the dead pets?

[AtSea1979]

Ok so I told my DD they were hibernating, now I've put cage away she thinks they escaped and went on a rampage or "blew away in the wind" and someone else is looking after them for her.
Do I finally fess up and tell her our beloved stick insects died?
She is off sick at minute and has even made a poster...

STICK INSECTS!

If you ask me nicely I've share my stick insect story.

Please!

Tomorrow when I'm on desktop.

teases

Sweets101, that reminded me son's goldfish was bright orange, we found one as close as possible in size and colour and then it turned a silvery colour. Why did we bother?

Well it must be one he'll of a story if a desktop is required!
it better be

Granny if he's anything like he'll love it all the more for its magical abilities. And not realise until he's in his 20's.

Wow. Think everyone should back off AtSea a bit. Some people getting v preachy...

I'm in agreement with other posters. Replace the insects and next time round tell her the truth. I doubt they live very long anyway. Find out average life expectancy and prepare for the fact that they won't live forever.
I really can't see how you can confess to her at this point without losing her trust.
Good luck

Haven't read all the posts but the death of pets helps prepare children for deaths of loved ones later. We have had lots of small pets die over the years and mine have always held them after death, and sometimes as they took their last breaths. Last year when their Grandad died they both (aged 14 and 11) went to see him in the chapel of rest. Their experiences with pets meant they knew how stiff and cold he would feel and neither of them were worried or found the experience traumatic.

I'd suggest you tell her done fantastic story. Have you seen the film Life is Beautiful? I'd follow that father's initiative.

Marking place for Exits story

You've built suspense and an audience now exit this needs to be a blockbuster.

I had a stick insect once. It freaked me out a bit, so my mum let it "live in the garden". I worked it out in the end without any trauma.

It involved an iron.

Ha Dent did you regularly see it too?

Ooh good taster exit

Now you've fabricated the story that they have gone missing (I would have told the truth btw), my suggestion (like some of the other posters) is to buy another, say you found it hiding under the stairs or something. I'd do this because it will confuse her saying you lied and could lead to her lying too. when thae new one eventually dies, do tell the truth and explain re life and death. It's very important children start getting an understanding of death early on.

Don't feel bad, I can see you thought it was the best thing to do so as not to upset her, you are a great mum 😘

Jesus wept, can't believe the OP is getting such a hard time over some stick insects.

It's not like it was a dog/cat/rabbit/horse etc

I agree with those who've suggested you buy another one and say they've come back. She will probably now be worried about where they've gone and whether they are OK.
Telling her you lied and they are actually dead is quite a complex scenario for a child to understand.

Just replace them with similar-looking ones.

Please tell her. I've been the child who made the poster, years later my mum slipped up in her lie

My daughter saved her money for weeks to buy two insects which were quite spectacular because you can get some really big bulky ones. She was so proud of them and she left them in the conservatory with plenty of food because they like to keep warm. The trouble was, we had a spectacularly hot couple of days and she came back to find they were crisps. She was ever so upset but we couldn't help giggling a little between ourselves because it could only happen to her. We wouldn't deliberately hurt any living thing but we could see the funny side. Just like when we took a call from her to say her rabbit had died whilst we were in Greece and the special of the day was Rabbit Stiffado!

I've been the child who made the poster, years later my mum slipped up in her lie

Please don't tell me you still hold it against her?

*YeOldMa" - rabbit stifado is one of my favourite dishes ever!!
OP, don't let the self-righteous brigade get you down. I'm sure your DD will not suffer any long term emotional problems and this will become just another amusing family tale. Keep the poster!

Friend of mine told her ds(3) she had found a stick insect - ds put it in a jar, fed it leaves, was cleaning it out, this went on for weeks.

It was a stick.

Friend was removing 'eaten' leaves overnight.

It seemed quite funny at the time, although I don't remember how she came clean. Ds would be about 30 now and is probably in therapy...