As my cat reached and passed 18 a couple of years ago, she was clearly slowing down, but the vet always said any lab signs of concerns were well within reasonable limits. And my own knowledge of my cat told me she was still enjoying life. It was just old age.
One sunny November Sunday, I could tell she was struggling… Read more
There are also some good books to help kids deal with the issue. I know this because my grandmother knew I liked books about dogs but wasn’t great about reading the back cover before gifting.
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Burial/cremation plans for sure, as you say, but I’d also plan for contingencies like the dog going into distress overnight like mine did and your regular vet not being available. Do you take them to the emergency vet for euthanasia ($$$) or keep them comfortable until their regular vet is available? What about home… Read more
Great article, sharing it with my sister who is an animal doctor. For her, it’s tough to put the animals down every time but in particular when it’s done for financial reasons...she’s been putting more and more down for treatable problems as the years go on. Read more
Grew up on a farm, lots of critters as well as wildlife rescue/rehab. Nice article and after all these years it doesn’t get any easier to let go. I am an ICU nurse so not a stranger to death and dying in any realm. I have to mention a story about a fellow co-worker whose horse was found down in the pasture with an… Read more
Having been one of those “I waited too long” people (due to inexperience, I’d never cared for a dog into old age), I’d suggest talking to your vet or friends who are comfortable ahead of time to discuss the signs of when it’s time. It can vary by ailment, but it saves the panic at 2am when your elderly dog is now… Read more
Good thoughts and I respect greatly your presence in worrying about others in the midst of your own grief. Even though I have no children this resonated with me some. We all face death within families. I know I personally didn’t handle this well with my nephews when my father died 17 years ago. They were young. No one… Read more
My dad died when my daughter was 5. He had been clearly in decline for a time before that, and honestly I think he wasn’t well in the entire time she was alive. It was a cognitive breakdown, neurodegenerative, and took 4 years in an intensive way. Read more
My father is on the way out. Its been a soul searching affair as he was never really around and I was primarily raised by my mom. Read more
A good follow up to this article is “When You Become a Parent to Your Parent”. Read more
When my daughter played soccer with YMCA (probably 9 or 10) I will readily admit I was too vocal. I was trying to be encouraging “Get in there, get in there, kick that ball. Run, run.” Later I realized that was not encouraging.
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My favorite moment as a ref this year was when the coach of the opposing team said “I’m playing this game under protest!” (I had to ref my own daughter’s game because not enough people showed up) when I reminded him the blue line was for building out passes, not trying to blast the ball down the field as hard as… Read more
Since I’ve been conflicted by not knowing whether it will be understood I’m cheering the defense’s good work stopping an attack as opposed to cheering a spirited attack by the offense, I’ve just decided to stay quiet. Read more
oh man, lol more than a decade of soccer as a player ensures i’ll never be an asshole on the sidelines. i spent so much time on the field being like ‘wtf is wrong with these grown ass adults’. i’ll be on the sideline, not saying a word except for the occasional cheer for a good play.
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Our son will occasionally come into our bedroom after having bad dreams, but the rule is that he doesn’t wake us up and he sleeps in a chaise that is in the room (we tend to leave a blanket on it anyway). That, and some good praise for staying in his own room, seems to work pretty well. We tend to find there are… Read more
Fantastic article. Soooo happy to come read this and NOT see someone recommending to let your kid sleep with you. Ever. Extreme illness can possibly be allowed as a RARE exception. I can count on one hand (with fingers left over) how many times my kids have spent a night in my bed. Don’t even keep the babies in the… Read more