Category Archives: Children and families

Teens: Grief Patterns and Processing Pet Loss

Grief affects everyone differently, through both emotional turmoil and physical exhaustion, and impacts our body, heart, and soul. Whether we have grieved before or feel “prepared” for these patterns, grief can hit us like a wave of shock, disbelief, and … Continue reading

Posted in Children and families | Leave a comment

Family Conflict Through Caretaking Decisions and How to Navigate: Part 2

Part 2: Mediating the Caretaking Conversation Among Family: One of the most important first steps to help prevent familial conflict is to plan a set time for everyone to sit down and have a quiet discussion of respectful communication, active … Continue reading

Posted in Children and families | Leave a comment

Family Conflict Through Caretaking Decisions and How to Navigate: Part 1

Part 1: Understanding Familial Conflict and Discussion Preparation: There are many difficult decisions to consider when preparing for your beloved pet’s end-of-life care, such as palliative treatment, medical procedures, euthanasia, and aftercare. It can quickly become emotionally overwhelming and physically … Continue reading

Posted in Children and families | Leave a comment

Supporting Older Adults – Part 2

Strategies for Supporting Older Adults Experiencing Loss In this two-part blog post, we began by exploring what factors can influence how seniors experience pet loss relative to other groups of people. This week, we end by outlining ways to support … Continue reading

Posted in Children and families | Leave a comment

Supporting Older Adults – Part 1

Loss is experienced differently by everyone. However, we know that some factors tend to impact certain groups of people in specific ways. Older adults, or those who are age 65 and up, make up a group that shows some common … Continue reading

Posted in Children and families | Leave a comment

Helping Children Cope with Pet Loss

For a downloadable resource on helping kids grieve the loss of a pet, click here: HelpingChildrenCopeFactSheet

Posted in Children and families | Leave a comment

Children and Pet Loss

The loss of a pet is often a child’s first experience with death and because it is painful, parents often wish to protect them from it.  Not talking about it, however, can make the grief process even more difficult.  Parents … Continue reading

Posted in Children and families | 1 Comment

Do pets grieve the loss of their animal friends?

  Do pets grieve the loss of their animal friends? Owners of multiple pets know that these furry “siblings” share a special bond with one another. They romp around the backyard and snuggle up together on the couch, but do … Continue reading

Posted in Children and families | 3 Comments

A Letter for Your Child’s Teacher About Pet Loss

Losing a pet can be a very difficult experience for children, depending on the circumstances of the loss.  If your family has recently lost a pet, it may be beneficial to let others know that your child has lost their furry friend.  … Continue reading

Posted in Children and families | Leave a comment

Grief Role-Modeling

For kids of all ages, losing a pet can be a confusing, heartbreaking and scary experience. For many kids, it might even be the first time they have had to grapple with death and grief. But, along with all of the … Continue reading

Posted in Children and families | Leave a comment