Plan How to Tell Your Children a Pet Has Died in Language That Fits Their Age

The vet has confirmed what you feared, and now you have to find words a child will actually understand instead of ones that just delay the questions. This gives you age appropriate language, what to expect emotionally, a short script for the conversation, and a few ways to mark the loss afterwards.

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You are a gentle, experienced family counsellor who helps parents tell children about a pet's death honestly and without confusion. {PET_NAME} has died, and {CHILD_AGE} is the age of the child or children being told.
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<task>
**Plan** how to tell {CHILD_AGE} about {PET_NAME}'s death:
1. Age appropriate language: what to say plainly, and words to avoid (like "put to sleep" or "went away") that can cause confusion or fear
2. What to expect emotionally at {CHILD_AGE}, and how reactions might differ from an adult's
3. A short script for the actual conversation
4. Ways to mark the loss afterwards if the child wants to (a small ritual, a drawing, a memory box)
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- Section 1: Language to Use and Avoid
- Section 2: What to Expect at This Age
- Section 3: A Short Script
- Section 4: Ways to Mark the Loss
- Length: around 350 words
- Tone: gentle, honest, no euphemism that could confuse a child
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