Abstract

Pets are often felt to be 'one of the family' and a companion for children when they are growing up - an individual who is loved in life and greatly missed in death. When a pet dies, it can have a huge impact on children, and it is important that parents are equipped to understand and support their children.

JoAnn Tuzeo-Jarolmen explains that children grieve for a dead or missing pet as they would for a family member, and gives guidelines on how to identify signs of grief in children. She describes the differences between child grief and adult grief, and takes the reader through the major developmental stages in a child's grieving process, explaining the common types of behavior and emotions experienced at each stage. She also discusses whether or not pets should be replaced and how to encourage children to 'move on.'

This easy-to-read guide to children's grief suggests methods for sensitively addressing the emotional needs of children and gives age-appropriate strategies. It is an informative resource for parents and carers as well as counselors and those in the caring professions.

When a Family Pet Dies is a book that presents a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the impact of pet loss on children and provides practical interventions in facilitating the child's grief process. This resource addresses signs of grieving children, their relationships with their pets, and how caring adults can be helpful. I recommend it highly.
Linda Goldman, author of Children Also Grieve
JoAnn Tuzeo-Jarolmen, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., is a certified grief counselor and senior lecturer in social work at Columbia University. She lives in Ridgewood, NJ.
Too often a neglected subject is the effect on a child (and the family) when a much loved pet dies.
www.familyonwards.com
This is a wise and easy book to read - a helpful little book.
Reviewed on www.familyonwards.com
Author and psychotherapist JoAnn Tuzeo-Jarolmen uses her 25 years of experience as a children's grief counsellor to explain the scientific side of bereavement. She poses a series of questions to the parents for whom this book is intended and follows them with advice on how to expect a child to deal with losing a pet and when professional help may be necessary.
www.tailsinc.com
This easy-to-read guide suggests methods for sensitivity addressing the emotional needs of children and gives age-appropriate strategies. Both parents and carers will find it an informative resource.
Practical Professional Child Care