Tiny Hearts, Big Goodbyes
Source: Upsplash- Unknown
If you've ever had to help your kids say goodbye—to a person or a pet—you know it's brutal (Probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do so far, to be honest).
You're trying to keep it together while explaining something even we (as adults) don't fully understand: how love can stay when life doesn't.
Here's what I've learned since yesterday, when I had to inform my children that we had to put our old puppy to sleep….
Be honest.
Don't sugarcoat it. Kids can handle truth better than confusion. Say "he died" instead of "he went to sleep." They need to grasp the concept in some way.
Remember, all kids will react differently, just as we all experience grief differently.
Let them see you cry.
You're not showing weakness—you're showing what love looks like when it hurts.
Give grief a job.
Let them draw, plant a flower, or keep a photo nearby. It gives sadness somewhere to go. (I am having pictures printed for their backpacks.)
Keep saying the name.
Talking about the one you lost helps it feel real—but not erased.
Answer the hard questions.
Even if all you can say is, "I don't know, but I wonder that too."
Remember together.
Grief shared is grief softened. Tell stories, laugh, cry, repeat.
The truth is—
Grief doesn't go away. It just becomes part of us. And when kids see us love, lose, and still keep going? That's one of the greatest lessons we'll ever teach them.
Grief never really disappears.
It starts out as a boulder you can barely move, and over time, it wears down until it's small enough to carry in your pocket.
How do we hand the next generation a softer version of what broke us? I want to hear from you. 🤍
