If you share your home with a pet, you’ll know just how much these furry companions can feel like part of the family.
It’s never easy to say goodbye to a beloved furbaby, but that process is definitely more difficult for children.
After all, your child may have grown up alongside the pet, and many kids consider their pets to be their best friends.
These are the animals they play with, the animals they talk through their problems with and the animals who help them to feel better when they’re sad.
It doesn’t matter whether that animal is a Saint Bernard, a moggy cat, a bunny or guinea pig, they’ll always feel like part of the family.
As a parent, it can be difficult to see your child in emotional pain. The loss of a pet is a difficult time for the whole family, but your child may need some extra help to process the loss.
If this is your child’s first experience of death, you’ll probably be extra careful as to how you handle it.
Cuddle Clones To The Rescue
Now, Cuddle Clones have come up with a wonderful idea to help families through the grieving process.
Cuddle Clones create cuddly pet keepsakes that look identical to your pet, for those who want a lasting memory.
All you need to do is upload some photos of your pet to their website and they will create a customized plush toy of your pet.
You can see lots of examples of Cuddle Clones on the company’s website, and you’ll see the likeness they are able to achieve is impressive. A percentage of each sale is generously donated to animal charities too.
A cuddly toy is a great way to help your child remember their pet. Your child will be able to chat to the toy and cuddle it at night, giving them a tool to process the loss of a loved one.
The plush toys are beautiful and have brought happiness to many people dealing with the loss of a pet.
What better way to remember your best friend than with a toy you can cuddle each night?
Helping Your Child To Grieve
The loss of a pet can be upsetting for the entire family. The youngest family members are likely to be the ones less able to deal with the loss, but there are some things you can do to help:
#1: Give Them The Chance To Say Goodbye
That last goodbye can be very important for the healing process after death. It gives you all a chance to say all of those unsaid things and to thank your pet for being such an important part of your life.
If you get the chance, let your child say goodbye to your pet in person. If that’s not possible or appropriate, hold a memorial service in your garden and invite each family member to say a few words.
#2: Remember Your Pet
Gone but not forgotten. Your child is likely to talk about the pet for a long time after the death. Talking is important for helping your child to process any emotions he might be feeling about the death.
Getting a Cuddle Clone is a great way to help your child to remember the pet. A framed photo of the animal in a family space is also a great idea and will help to remind the whole family of how loved your pet was.
#3: Allow Time To Grieve
You can be forgiven for wanting to put an end to your child’s heartbreak, but running straight out to buy another pet may not be the best course of action here. The family needs time to grieve and move on.
Once you feel ready, you might think about adopting another pet from a rescue center. There are plenty of abandoned animals out there in desperate need of loving homes.
#4: Accept The Emotions
Your child might be distraught after the loss of his best friend and it’s important for you to teach him a healthy way to handle those emotions.
Don’t say ‘it was just a pet’, or imply he should be over it by now, and don’t mock his emotions. Instead be empathetic to how he feels and explain how you feel, too.
Use this as an opportunity to teach your child that emotions are nothing to be scared of, that loss gets easier with time and that compassion towards animals is something beautiful.
Examples Of Cuddle Clones
Here are some examples of Cuddle Clones – see more in the Cuddle Clones gallery, here.
