Today was a painful day, our class frog, Leo Don Frog, died. I approached the death of our little frog as an opportunity to instill healthy coping mechanisms, equipping them with a foundation with which to approach similar losses throughout their lives.

When faced with this situation, here are some strategies for turning this sad experience into an important learning opportunity:

Be sensitive to their feelings, and be ready to accept any and all emotions. Some children may voice sadness, while others are more curious. They might ask questions that sound callous– remember that especially if this is their first experience with death, children may have no context for what has happened. Try to get to the bottom of what they’re asking. The permanence of death is hard for young children to understand, and children might ask to see or touch the body to better comprehend. Children will likely ask days, weeks, or months later where the pet is, potentially bringing up that sadness again.

We used the correct terminology by simply stating that Leo Don has died. An accurate and brief explanation helps children understand what has happened. Using phrases like “he’s resting” or “he was sick” can worry children– will they one day rest and not get up? What will happen next time they have a cold or stomach bug? Communicate with families as well. Some families may be less comfortable with these discussions than others, and you’ll likely have a variety of spiritual beliefs within your group. Let families know what you discussed so they can add on their beliefs and reinforce children’s understanding at home.

Grief is a difficult process, but the sense of love in our classroom allows us all to have strength together as we experience the loss. Encouraging and facilitating conversations today was hard but we will hold little frog in our hearts.