Mom secretly captures her tearful 3-year-old son trying to understand their family dog’s passing

Losing a pet can be emotionally devastating for a child, but it can also teach them about the reality of life. A mom witnessed a heart-wrenching moment soon after the family lost their beloved pup. On the TikTok page, under the handle @patty_mowgli_shenzi, the mom shared the video showing her son on the floor, grieving their late pet, as she quietly filmed without disturbing him. While a child may seem too young to grieve and cope with loss, experts note that children may grieve differently than adults, often through changed behaviors.

The 3-year-old boy knelt on the ground to stare at the picture of his late pup, Shenzi (affectionately called Shenny), stuck on the fridge. He reminisced about good times with his late furry pal while gazing intently at the picture. At one point, he moved closer to look at Shenzi’s photo, his little hands on his knees and head tilted. The mom secretly captured the moment as her teary-eyed son grieved, including glimpses of happy times with the pet. Shenny, a mixed breed of Pomeranian and Husky, enjoyed cuddles with her son and would occasionally jump in to hug his human sibling. “Miss you, Shenny!” the mom penned in the caption of the post with 2.2 million views.

Liked by half a million people, the 3-year-old’s grief struck a chord with the internet users. Several viewers shared heartfelt notes and relatable past experiences in the comments. “He’s trying to understand. Death never really makes sense, because love never dies,” said @stephaniesm860. @fredbeam0 expressed, “Man, the way he looked at that picture crushed me.” “That breaks my heart. Too young to know why it hurts so much,” said @rryuronin. Someone else (@user89682073208754) noted, “You put the photo at his eye level so he can see it better.” “I’m struggling with this as an adult, so bless him. Such a deep, devastating loss,” wrote @freya.moon24. 

There was a fair share of comments from fellow parents with similar experiences. @stephaniemisamor recalled, “My 15-year-old husky passed away 2 years ago when my daughter was 9. She will still just start crying randomly because she misses him.” Another parent (@revigorer) shared, “My son was 5 when we had to euthanize our bearded dragon due to illness. He’s 9 now and still walks by his urn and says, ‘I miss Charmander, mommy.'” According to Mayo Clinic, children may have questions and struggle to understand death as they grieve the loss. It is essential for parents to manage their own emotions and guide their children through the difficult process. 

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reveals that a child may grieve in bouts of emotion, often shifting from sadness to seemingly unbothered play. While not actively grieving, they may exhibit changed behaviors, such as appetite loss, nightmares, or temper issues. The report suggests supporting a grieving child by creating outlets for healing. This may usually occur through time spent outdoors, doing engaging activities like art and crafts, or even spending time with friends. 

You can follow @patty_mowgli_shenzi on TikTok for more videos.