Today’s Parenting Tip:

DECIDE:   The feelings that go with the loss of a pet are important life lessons.

PRACTICE:   Today, think about a time you lost a pet. Were you allowed to feel sad?

If you didn’t have a pet, think about a relative, neighbor, or friend who lost a pet. Was that person allowed to feel sad?

If you believe you were permitted to deal with the sadness of losing a pet as a child, think about what you learned from that experience.

As an adult, how do you use what you learned as a child? Celebrate the opportunity to learn that lesson.

If you believe you were not permitted to deal with the sadness of losing a pet as a child, think about how you were protected from sadness. Were you talked out of it, given things to take your attention away from the loss, kept from even knowing about what happened to the pet, or was the pet quickly replaced?

Ask yourself how you would want to handle the loss of a pet with your own child, if it became necessary.

Today’s Decide and Practice daily parenting tip was inspired by our featured picture book, PICK A PUP.  Read the book to a child in your life each day as a reminder of what you are deciding and practicing that day.

Come back each day for another good parenting decision and how to practice it. (Each day’s activity will also be posted on the Daily Parenting Tips page for easy access.)

Read the whole story at Kids and Pets: The Basics.