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GERRY VISITS THE BIG RUNNING WHEEL IN THE SKYFeb 25 '00 Write an essay on this topic.This is the story of how I told my first son about the death of his beloved hamster. Needless to say, it wasn't very pretty so I hope new parents can learn from my mistakes just as I have! It was 5 AM and I heard a scream come out of my 4 year-old's room. I jumped up and ran down the hall in the dark, tripping over strewn plastic dinosaurs and a tricycle. When I reached my son's room he was standing at his hamster Gerry's cage, talking to him. "Gerry, why don't you get up?" he asked, very politely might I add. (Just like I taught him!) Immediately I knew what the problem was. Gerry wasn't gonna get up. When my son saw me, he looked up and asked me what was wrong with Gerry. (Novice parents begin to read carefully. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME) I panicked and thought of some comforting words to say. Then I remembered that my son hadn't yet figured out why Gerry wasn't alright. I then told him that Gerry was sleeping. He asked why wasn't he getting up. I said because he was very tired. He asked why he was so tired. I said because he had stayed up all night. He asked when Gerry would get up. I told him later. (Yes, I know that everyone who just read that cringed. Hey, it was 5 in the morning and I was relatively new at this!) After sitting for about 2 hours next to the cage, waiting for his friend to get up, I told my son that he had died and that Gerry had gone to heaven. My son was stunned, and punched me in the knee (his mother taught him that, I swear!) and ran away crying into our bedroom. He wouldn't talk to me for an entire day (and my wife wouldn't either), and he called me a liar until I bought him a box of plastic dinosaurs. The basic idea is this. The phrase which has been echoed for as long as mankind has existed applies here; honestly is the best policy. I think that I really scarred my son for a good long time because I lied to him about his hamster. He refused to get another pet, because he was afraid that "Daddy would lie" again. Yes, he got over calling me a liar. He even now has a dog of his own. But just be honest with your child when it comes to the death of a pet or family member. Although it is initially harder to do, it is easier on everyone in the long run.  |
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