The 2015 film Oddball allowed children to connect with the unique story of how Maremma dogs started protecting Middle’s Island’s threatened penguin colony.
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In light of the death of the original dog of the same name this week, Warrnambool-based clinical and health psychologist Jodie Fleming provided advice for talking about death and grief with children.
She said the right approach depended on a child’s age and development, but honesty was important.
“Often their imaginations are much worse than the actual reality of a situation,” Ms Fleming said.
Ms Fleming said older children and adolescents had better concepts of fantasy and reality, whereas younger children may see a character from a TV show or film as a more realistic part of their lives.
She said it was important to let children express themselves and learn skills for the future.
“Kids still need to go through a grieving process as well, though it might come across differently to how it does in adults,” Ms Fleming said.
Kids still need to go through a grieving process as well, though it might come across differently to how it does in adults.
- Jodie Fleming
