We have two dogs and our 13-year-old pound rescue ran out of the house and got hit by a car. We all feared the worst as my husband ran her to the emergency veterinary hospital. Since we weren't sure the extent of the injuries, or frankly, if poor Kahla would make it, we didn't tell the kids anything at first. It was also rather complicated, because we didn't want the kids to feel awkward around the friend who accidently ran Kahla over.
We often struggle with how much information to give the children when we're dealing with a difficult situation. It's funny, I Googled "how much to tell the kids" and I found parents asking this same question on a thousand different topics: death, cancer, divorce, financial issues, etc. It seems no matter what the situation, many parents stumble over what to say to the children and I'm not alone.
I found some good information on Cancercare.org that I think could apply to any number of situations. The most important point is to be honest with your kids, give age appropriate information, answer their questions accurately, explain how it affects their lives, reassure them, and let them know whom they can turn to for support.
We decided to wait until morning when we had more information. Luckily, our Kahla is going to be ok. She just has a few lacerations and a displaced hip. The kids are helping her (probably a little too much!) and glad she's ok. We also made the point that we feel terrible that Kahla got out and certainly don't blame the driver who accidently hit her.
I'm glad I went through this and really thought about how to talk with our kids. I'm hoping if I encounter an even more difficult situation, I'll be able to deal with it using the same tactics.
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