Basic Sciences Bldg. 2001 S. Lincoln Ave. Helpline at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. Being honest with children is the most important factor.
Terminology is crucial when talking to children about death.
These are all concrete words that children can wrap their brains around. Brannan warns against telling children that your pet ran away or that you gave it to a friend. That gives children a different kind of grief. We are helping her to die because she is experiencing pain that we can no longer treat. Talk about the death of a pet before the death occurs.