It’s crazy how attached some of us get to our animals, and when they pass away, it’s like losing a brother, sister, dear friend or even a child! Many of us form bonds with our pets that simply can’t be broken even if the pet has passed away. Nothing can make you feel better, but for young kids, there’s a craft project that might help them overcome the tremendous pain.
Over time, pets acquire things, like a water bowl, a collar, leash, or a favorite toy. Pet owners often accumulate things as well, like photos of the pet, or a tee shirt with yours and the pet’s images printed on it. These things have memories attached to them, and with the pet gone, these things are all a pet owner has left.
Make a keepsake box, to hold all the pet memories, and it’ll have its own special place at home. Whether in a child’s room, or in a hall closet, the pet box will hold the memories of the beloved pet, and will give children something real to hold and touch, giving a finality to the death of the pet, as well as a way that children can still connect with the memories of the animal.
Decide what’s the largest thing you’ll put in the box then choose a box according to that particular size. If the largest thing was the pet’s bed, for example, choose a box that will hold it, along with other memorabilia. The box will obviously need to be somewhat large. But, if the pet slept at the end of your bed, and didn’t have his own, then a small box may be all that’s needed.
Cover the box in puppy wrapping paper, kitten cloth, or other materials that remind you of the animal. It could be wallpaper, faux fur that’s the color of the pet, or other fabrics. Cover the box and allow the adhesive to dry. Photos can be added to the box to represent the contents. You can also print out photos of the pet, cut them like jigsaw puzzles, and then affix them to the box.
Inside the box, place the pet’s collar, clothing he or she might have had, favorite toys, photos – with or without frames – and other things that remind you of the pet. Young kids might want to write a story about the pet, or a list of things they loved about him or her. Drop in an unopened bag of the pet’s favorite snack chew, mementos from vacations, or just have a piece of paper inside that can be signed by people who knew him or her.
Believe it or not, making the keepsake box is a way to help children heal from losing their pet. For many kids, a pet is like a sister or brother. When the pet is gone, it’s very difficult to move past it, for some kids. Writing about loving the pet, gathering things the pet loved, and gingerly placing everything in the box, can give children closure, which they need to accept the death.
For some people, it’s too eerie or morbid to leave the pet keepsake box lying around in full view, so those people might want to choose a place in a closet, or another out-of-the-way area. For others, keeping the pet keepsake box nearby is a loving reminder of their dear friend. In this case, find a nice shelf or table to set the box, and maybe place a picture or poem in front of the box.
Since memories come back, sometimes, over a long period of time, it’s a nice project for boys and girls to keep an ongoing journal, or book, about the pet. They can write about how they found or acquired the pet, their first memories of the animal, or about how the pet made them feel safe. They can recall times when they went for a walk and something funny happened, or just write a paragraph or two about how the pet always followed them to the school bus stop.
The keepsake box will be a treasure for some people, especially kids, so consider making one today, if you’ve recently lost a pet. Get the kids involved in the project, but be sure and have a nice, big box of tissue handy!
Reference:
- Read more about helping children overcome grief from pet loss: vetmedicine.about.com/od/lossandgrief/a/PetLossAndKids.htm
