To replace DSs deceased hamster with a doppelganger?

[FireUnderpants]

Or say that sometimes they shed their winter coats and grow different colour fur?

DS is nearly 6,still tears up at the thought of one of Guinea pigs who passed last summer.

Ime your DS is unlikely to be fooled by any substitution.

Are you putting off the inevitable? Is this hamster going to be replaced time and time again until DS is 18? If he has it (or a version of it) longer he may become more attached. I think the idea is lovely in a way, because you're trying to protect him, but I reckon you should be honest

So what if he tears up at the thought of his dead pet. Don't most of us do that when we think about a deceased loved one? It's part of life. Don't bother with the silly lie.

No. Death and loss is not something to be avoided. You do your child a disservice not allowing them the experience in a safe and normalised manner through pet deaths.

I wouldn't. My parents tried this when I was just a year or so older and my finch died. I saw through the substitution immediately and was then not only sad that my first finch had died, bit also distraught that mum had lied to me.

Better to explain to children much earlier on that pets will eventually die, especially with very should pets like hamsters. Totally get why you wouldn't want to, but at least it takes the shock out of it when it happens. At this point I'd just tell him gently what's happened.

Good luck, not a nice situation

Kim Kardashian did the same recently for her daughter North:

No. This is going to sound quite horrible but I’m very glad my dc experienced the loss of our much loved dog & cat & we talked through the grieving process with them & encouraged them to share memories of them. It helped them greatly when my lovely Dad (the Grandad they worshipped) died 3 years later. As hard as it is death & all the emotions that come with it are a natural part of life. It broke my heart to tell them our Guinea Pigs had died been brutally murdered by a cat who broke in to their cage a few months after their Grandad died though.

No. Let him cry.

Tell him, let him grieve for his pet, then off to Pets at Home to choose a new one, with a new name.

At our local primary school they had a famously long lived hamster. Seven years I think. Of course a little string of hamsters had died in the holidays and been surreptitiously replaced. I don't think this would work with a family pet because the DC know it so well. But it worked with a school pet.

How are you going to explain needing to re tame hamster?? Its a terrible idea. Agree with the pps. 2 of our hamsters have died so far, yes the kids are sad, but they get over it.

Don't let him find it dead, better to remove it & tell him the truth, I had distraught 7 year old coming in with a very stiff hamster as he found him, it broke his heart for ages.

I’d tell him. Mind you, my adult DD called me outraged at aged 19 odd having confidently told a roomful of mates at uni that ‘goldfish change colour as they age’ so I am speaking from bitter experience

I think one of the benefits of having pets is that they help children to learn about death. Of course it's upsetting, but it's a natural part of life and it's better that he understands it.

Have a nice little funeral ceremony and help him remember the fun that he had with his hamster - perhaps you could make a little photo board together?

You could gently introduce the idea of getting a new hamster, but be guided by what he wants - he may prefer not to replace it.

I was honest when our hamster died. Mainly because I was sick of cleaning the cage out and I was not about to be locked into another 2 years of it.
I said little hammy went to hamster heaven with all his favourite food, she was ok about it!

Be truthful, allow him to be sad but also get him talk about the good things he remembers. And that although short, his hamster had the best life and was loved.

It’s hard, but kids need to understand that death is a part of life and that hamsters don’t live as long as people do. But as pp have suggested, a little memorial and a conversion about how Hammy will live on in your DC’s memories might help.