Our dog's being put down tonight, Help with explaining to our nearly 3 year old please

[katzguk]

title says it all really.

our dog has cancer and is very ill, its been very sudden, how do we handle this with our nearly three year old dd?

anyone?

sorry was typing out what to say but just feel so sad for you,xx

I had to tell dd about death when she was 3 afer my mum's dog died. I told her that sometimes, when an animal is really, really old or really, really poorly, their bodies can't work any more, and so they die. It means we can never see them again, and that makes us sad, but we can still think about them all the time and remember all the happy things about them. Her next question was whether people died too, and I told her that they did, but reinforced that it usually only happens when someone is very old.

If you want to read a story book to her that deals with the death of a pet in a sensitive way that young children can understand, Goodbye Mog by Judith Kerr is good.

Oh, poor you. No advice really, except not to say the dog has "gone away" - I was told that about a cat when I was about three and I worried for years that other pets would just up and leave one day.

Will be thinking of you

Bless you- must be awful.we have an elderly dog and everyday i come downstairs and wonder if he is still with us? he is 16/17. he has grown up with the children who are now 18 and 20, it will devastate my kids when he dies.

like HM says - tell the truth, dont dress it up- 'doggy has gone to live with the angels' is still confusing to a little one.

best of luck - and thinking of you
xx

I don't know if this helps, but ds1 (2 1/2) seems to handle the simple facts of death very well. He looks at the photo of him with his great grandad and says "that's grandad. we don't see him anymore because he's dead." He doesn't seem to need to go beyond that.

Oh, Katz, so sorry to hear! I've been wondering this thios AM as my cat seems unwell.
I think I would start asFisil said. Just said she died. Ithink a lot of times many of their questions just need a simple answer. She will feel equally sad whatever you say because the fat is she won't see the dog anymore. I would try to acknowledge her sadness, and try to direct her feelings to somekind of activity that helps her remember her good times. Photos with the dog perhaps?
Sorry again, os a tought one

Oh no, how hard for you all

No advice i'm afraid, i was going to reccomend getting a book on explaining a death of a pet to a young child but WigWamBam has already done that.

I hope your 3 year old is okay- and you of course.

xx

thanks

wellhave brokered the topic with her and her reactions was we can get another dog! or better still a rabbit

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Oh Katz, poor you and DD. I can't add anything other than that WWB has put it really well for a 3 year old.
DD once saw a dead bird in the garden and DH put it in the rubbish bin. She then asked me if my grandad went in a rubbish bin too when he died. She also asked if she went on a plane if she could go and see him with the angels.
I think simple explaination is the best way, and tell her that it is OK to feel sad.

WWB, I didn't mean to imply that you were a 3 year old!

It wouldn't be the first time someone's implied that, gingerbear

Can I just add that I had only intended to tell my dd that the dog had died and nothing more, but she kept asking questions and so we answered her. You may find that more questions come along over the next couple of days too, because to start with it doesn't always sink in that death is final.

well we've been and said goodbye and DD was a star she gave the dog a cuddle and a kiss. In the car she asked if the dog was coming home and we told her that it had gone to live with Nanny, she said she didn't want her to go but seems to understand. She's now planning on getting a rabbit

Glad DD took it well - but so sorry for you all How are you??