We just got a new fish tank and are having trouble maintaining the chemical balance. (10 gallon) We have several fish, but I just walked by the tank and one is, well, dead. I pick my 6 year old daughter up from school soon. How do I handle this? I know she will be disappointed, but how do I explain "life" and death in terms of a fish. People I can handle, but do I tell her fish go to heaven?
2007-03-19 08:35:30 · 7 answers · asked by Kelli 3 in Pets ➔ Fish
I agree with K and MM here. You don't want to lie to your daughter and just get a new fish, (even though sometimes that seems to be easier)
As with adults, children need closure as well. Explain to her that all things live and all things die. That is the circle of life (so take it from the lion king). Remind her he was a good fish. If possible, have a funeral in the back yard, or where ever even in a shoe box.
Let her make a card if she wishes.
Children are more resilliant than we give them credit for.
As far as heaven, that is up to you and your family beliefs. If it be with a great grand parent (or grand parent aunt uncle etc.) that was where the fish went to be with them. What you feel comfortable telling her. Over explainations are not always needed.
2007-03-20 10:29:00 · answer #1 · answered by danielle Z 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps that's a question best left for your minister as so many faiths teach differently on the subject. From a purely Biblical point of view it can be argued that only man is made in Gods image and therefore only humans have the ability to know and understand sin and therefore we are the only creatures able to sin and the only creatures that have souls.
But no matter how you handle the death side of the issue, my kids responded well to a "funeral" in the backyard and a trip to the pet store for a new fish the next day.
MM
2007-03-19 08:48:21 · answer #2 · answered by magicman116 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
i would tell her that her fish is in a better place, and maybe offer to go to the pet shop the next day. i am 14, and i remember when my first fish died ( 8 years old i think) and i got another one, and it helped ALOT. if your not sure what killed it, it could have been to sudden of a temperature change, did you flaot it is the water, before plainly dumping it in? make sure that you are doing things correctly, maybe check online. oh well, i hope that your daughter understands =)
2007-03-19 08:42:27 · answer #3 · answered by island.girl24 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
do what you feel comfortable doing. my mother taught me from a young age everything has a soul, and everything that has a soul goes to heaven or hell. since animals aren't capable of sin I believe all animals go to heaven. so if you want your daughter to believe that animals go to heave, which she may believe for the rest of her life, then tell her so.
if you decide to, you can tell her that he's swimming with God and that he can watch down on her from fishy heaven :)
I would NOT just buy her another fish or offer to replace it tomorrow, this is teaching her that the fish didn't really matter. instead let her know it's okay for her to be sad. after all it was a living thing, just a fish or not. let her decide when she's ready to get another one, give her time to et over it.
2007-03-19 08:42:29 · answer #4 · answered by Kylie Anne 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
tell her that they go to fish heaven when they die i do that to my lil brother all the time"there iz fish,dog,bird,cat,and even lizard heaven" that iz what i say to him and by the way your name iz the same as mine i thought that was cool
2007-03-19 08:42:56 · answer #5 · answered by Kelli O 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
change the fish and don,t tell your daughter
2007-03-19 08:41:56 · answer #6 · answered by lovepets 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yeah, change the fish, and even if you tell her, she wont take it as bad as you would expect her to.
2007-03-19 09:26:27 · answer #7 · answered by Nathan L 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋