Mom shares tear-jerking clip of little girl crying at dog's grave and we're all bawling

They say, 'Don't cry in front of your kids,' or 'They're too young to understand grief,' to protect them for their own good. But what if, instead of safeguarding our children, we're unconsciously teaching them that emotions should be shoved aside like dirty laundry? Well, a heartfelt video posted by a mom, Jaymie (@jaymiehazelip36 on TikTok), also reposted later by Forever Figurines (@foreverfigurinesshop on Instagram), captured a small yet profound moment of her little girl mourning the loss of her beloved dog. The bittersweet moment caught on camera serves as a reminder that allowing kids to feel raw, unfiltered emotions actually helps them to grow into emotionally intelligent and empathetic individuals.

"My sweet girl lost her dog yesterday," a loving parent said, as they explained how their "heartbroken" daughter wanted to visit his grave, perhaps for one last farewell. The minute the girl reached the graveyard, she could no longer control herself and broke down into tears. Fortunately, she wasn't alone in dealing with the overwhelming emotional turmoil; her dear friend was there, providing her the support she needed at such a vulnerable moment. "Her little friend picking up the pieces," the parent wrote, as they shared glimpses of their daughter's friend consoling her — a quiet moment of shared silence that speaks volumes about love and friendship.

In most households, losing a pet could, perhaps, be a child's first experience with death, so it's completely natural for them to feel overwhelmed by the sudden absence of their beloved animal companion. In fact, VCA Animal Hospital says children mourn just the way adults do, but have different ways of expressing their feelings. Kids might often experience symptoms like a loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, or even anxiety when exposed to such heartbreaking situations. However, parents could easily help their children by listening to them without judgment and validating their feelings. 

Meanwhile, the emotional moment of the young girls received an outpouring of love on social media, leaving people teary-eyed. For instance, one user who goes by @josette on Instagram commented, "Thank you for sharing death and mourning with a child; it’s important that they know about this. I think we hide our kids too much from these topics. When my cat was passing away from an illness, I picked up my children from school and brought them to her so they could say goodbye. They needed to understand and feel. We still feel sad and cry about her, then we celebrate her memory, pray, and discuss how important it is to have faith, God, and be kind. We only get one chance."

Similarly, another user, @_truly.foux_, shared, "That's so sweet she has someone to lean on aside from parents—while parental comfort IS top tier, sometimes what you need is someone who understands things the same way as you." On the other hand, @kodie_orbinnnn revealed, "My dog passed away in 2019. I had her my whole life. The night before she passed, I had my best friend over to say goodbye to her. My friend really helped me get through that time, although we unfortunately stopped being friends soon after. Her just being there meant so much to me, and it still does to this day."

You can follow Jaymie (@jaymiehazelip36) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.