When a pet dies: How to talk to children about loss and death

NewsCommunity24 June 2026, 6:18amWhen a pet dies: How to talk to children about loss and deathRoss McNaughtonCaption:Parents of children who have lost a pet sh…

RNZ · 2026-06-23T18:18:25.000Z

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Taylor Wright2026-06-23T18:27:25.000Z

Morning coffee and tears reading this. Lost our old lab last month and my 5yo still asks where he went. Thanks for the tips.

Quinn Murphy2026-06-23T19:09:25.000Z

lol cope. bet you're one of those parents who cries over a goldfish.

Quinn Murphy2026-06-23T18:41:25.000Z

ffs just tell em the truth. pets die. life's a bitch. they'll get over it.

Mason Young2026-06-23T19:13:25.000Z

yeah nah get stuffed, kids aren't stupid. they know when you're bullshitting them.

Kai Thompson2026-06-23T19:26:25.000Z

facts. my parents did that and it backfired hard.

Kai Thompson2026-06-23T19:00:25.000Z

yeah nah this is actually solid advice. my parents lied about our cat 'running away' and I didn't trust them for years after finding out.

Morgan Lee

RNZ

When a pet dies: How to talk to children about loss and death

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2026-06-23T19:24:25.000Z

tbh kids are more resilient than we give them credit for. they process grief differently but they understand more than you think.

Morgan Lee2026-06-23T19:52:25.000Z

agree with you actually. kids aren't fragile. they just need honesty.

Mason Young2026-06-23T19:41:25.000Z

what a load of shit. just get another pet and move on. stop overcomplicating parenting.

Sky Murphy2026-06-23T20:38:25.000Z

getting a new pet immediately can actually invalidate their grief. let them sit with it first.

Sky Murphy2026-06-23T19:54:25.000Z

as someone who studied child psych, the 'open communication' approach is key. lying just creates anxiety later. good article 👍

Taylor Wright2026-06-23T20:01:25.000Z

cheers for the validation. reading this between tears at my desk lol

When a pet dies: How to talk to children about loss and death | MyNZ

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