by Amanda Ballard

Created on: March 25, 2009

I voted yes not that I neccesarily agree that a pet should be intentionally killed to teach a moral lesson. But we all have to accept the fact of death and children don't always properly care for a pet and sometimes the pet may die. If this happens then yes the parent should explain what happened and why and help the child to understand that it isn't ok and should then take steps to assist the child in the grieving process. There are certain facts of life that are not always candy topped; sometimes the sour parts will bite us and leave an impression on us. And when a death occurs in the family at a later age it will make it a little easier for the child to accept having dealt with it in the past. A death in the family is easier for a child to deal with if they already know what basically happens in death from dealing with a pet's death.

Not only do pets teach about death, they do teach responsibility and I think when a child reaches a certain age they can accept the responsibility that comes with pets. If children neglect to care for the pet and the pet dies, it can be a hard lesson for the child to learn but it is a lesson that the child probably won't forget. I am not saying that should be ok for the kid to neglect the animal and if it does happen the parent should sit down and talk to the child about responsibility. Pets can teach many lessons and responsibility and having pets goes hand-in-hand. Taking care of a pet means that the child has to be responsible and feed it, water it and whatever else needs done.
Death should not be demonized by the parent but the child needs to realize that it is a possibility and the child should be aware of it. When I was a young kid I was taught that for every action there is a reaction. Whether it is positive or negative is a variable that is dependent on what the action is that caused it to begin it's descent or ascent. If a child learns about death it may help to instill a belief in responsibility and a desire to succeed the next time but I believe this depends on how the death is put in the child's eyes by the parent. If it is thrust at them with anger and negative emotion from the parent then the child may give up and never try again. If the child learns about death in a structured environment and with love and compasssion then the child may get that drive to succeded. This is a crucial element in which the parent or authority figure has full and total control.

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