Tech Support Forum - View Single Post - How do I tell a 4 yr old her Hamster died?

**Cathy95820** · 11-12-2008, 09:49 AM

I don't know...You may want to keep it simple. Explain that you found him/her deceased. Help her draw a picture of him/her to hang on fridge or her room.....Take a trip to the pet store and get another hamster...Even if you try your best to explain death, watch movies etc., kids that age are developmentally unable to grasp the concept. I think it is more traumatic for the parent to get through this situation than it will be for the child. Now, don't think me to be insensitive please, this advice is based on the circumstance that daughter was out of residence during the hamsters passing.

And by all means, please don't let her see you pull it out of the freezer in a zip lock. My mom passed when I was 8 and I'm not sure I really got it back then. I seem to recall asking my dad when we would see her again. She had been sick for a very very long time (MS).

p.s. Lion King is a good circle of life movie too

11-12-2008, 09:49 AM	#5 (permalink)
Cathy95820 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 2,359 OS: Windows XP Svs.Pk 3	Re: How do I tell a 4 yr old her Hamster died? I don't know...You may want to keep it simple. Explain that you found him/her deceased. Help her draw a picture of him/her to hang on fridge or her room.....Take a trip to the pet store and get another hamster...Even if you try your best to explain death, watch movies etc., kids that age are developmentally unable to grasp the concept. I think it is more traumatic for the parent to get through this situation than it will be for the child. Now, don't think me to be insensitive please, this advice is based on the circumstance that daughter was out of residence during the hamsters passing. And by all means, please don't let her see you pull it out of the freezer in a zip lock. My mom passed when I was 8 and I'm not sure I really got it back then. I seem to recall asking my dad when we would see her again. She had been sick for a very very long time (MS). p.s. Lion King is a good circle of life movie too Last edited by Cathy95820; 11-12-2008 at 09:55 AM.