Comments on Wife in the North: It's a killer

My 6-yr-old lost his fish the other month. It was ...

2008-07-03T00:39:00.000+01:00

My 6-yr-old lost his fish the other month. It was the first 'pet death' in the family and he took it very badly - he sobbed on and off for days. We sent little 'Tchoupi' to his watery grave in the river Aveyron, but according to my friends the water in my toilet bowl would probably have been cleaner! It was quite an exit, as when he floated away he became tangled-up in some weeds - I remember thinking to myself 'oh god, please don't let him get stuck, please don't let him get stuck!' When he finally managed to break free (dramatic pause over) my son had the most terrible thought,'but what if he gets eaten by a shark!' I reassured him that he wouldn't and, thankfully, he believed me.

re pig I am surprised only by the fact you did not...

2008-05-01T22:00:00.001+01:00

re pig I am surprised only by the fact you did not cook the owl

I am sure fins will get better...

2008-05-01T22:00:00.000+01:00

I am sure fins will get better...

ooo, the three free fish sounds good. Kids are qu...

2008-05-01T21:08:00.000+01:00

ooo, the three free fish sounds good. Kids are quite fickle aren't they? And the idea of new stuff always excites them, that could be the silver lining. I do think it's good for children to see death in this 'minor' way...it's tough, but it gently introduces them to mortality.

I'm cringeing a little having written that, but I'm sure my children have benefited from burying moorhens and a baby owl (that was tough), they've got to the point now where they're quite happy for us to toss baby birds over fence into the neighbouring field. See, harsh and sans feeling my kids ;-)
Pigx

I take it that husband is away at the moment?When ...

2008-05-01T17:10:00.000+01:00

I take it that husband is away at the moment?
When my kids' first fish died, we had a huge funeral, my daughter made a headstone from an old piece of floor board, painted the epitaph with nail varnish. It's still against a wall in the garden! Actually brings back fond memories now,6 years on,of an innocent era, but floods of tears at the time. Still, it's healthier than bottling it up, isn't it? mimi

My two are still swimming. I'm keeping my eye on ...

2008-05-01T13:43:00.000+01:00

My two are still swimming. I'm keeping my eye on them.

Hope the children are okay xx

I'm fairly sure you can replace them without littl...

2008-04-30T19:35:00.000+01:00

I'm fairly sure you can replace them without little ones noticing.

Three free fish, family therapy, and how many loav...

2008-04-30T18:08:00.000+01:00

Three free fish, family therapy, and how many loaves?

The first deaths are the worst.

2008-04-30T09:57:00.000+01:00

The first deaths are the worst.

Are you going to have a funeral? At least energy c...

2008-04-30T09:23:00.000+01:00

Are you going to have a funeral? At least energy can be diverted- sounds pretty bleak, at your place, at the mo'
Hope you all get through it okay.
I have an awful premonition:
'Remember the fish!'
Being a kind of totem, held up at the suggestion of pets brought into the house in the future...

I feel I wasn't terribly sympathetic to what you a...

2008-04-30T00:41:00.000+01:00

I feel I wasn't terribly sympathetic to what you are all going through in my last comment, so I will just say I am thinking of you all :(