How do I tell the kids?
Children's health and vet groups suggest simple, honest words like "died," not "went to sleep" or "we gave them away," and letting children ask questions and say goodbye.
A real example
A clinical social worker at NC State's vet college suggests using falling leaves or bugs that die. This helps young children see that all living things die and do not come back.
Organisation, NC State University College of Veterinary MedicineRead the original
What others said
「My old dog got worse for days and was put to sleep today, so how do I tell my daughter tomorrow?」
Shared online (reworded) Mumsnet, English-speaking, Oct 2026What people do in different places
Say "died," not "went to sleep"UK | PDSA: a child may wait for them to wake up
Don't say they ran away or went to a farmUS | UCLA Health: it confuses young children
If you can, let your child say goodbye firstUS | American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Scatter ashes, make a collage or plant a tree togetherUS | AAP: suggest gently and follow their wishes
Let your child write or draw for themUS | NC State vet college
You don't need to hide your own griefUS | UCLA Health: kids learn these feelings are normal
Sources
1 post from an owner online: reworded and anonymised, showing only the platform, region and month. We keep the original link privately.
Updated 25 Oct 2026. This page updates daily from owners’ posts.