ZOOCH THE POOCH

Companion Book

for

Parents and Guardians

Click for Table of Contents

Zooch the Pooch was inspired by the death of Darrell F. Garza, and we would encourage you to read the dedication to Darrell in the front of the children's book  before reading the Companion Book.  It is the desire of the authors to assist parents, guardians and children through the emotionally difficult times that precede and follow the death of a friend, family member or pet.

Authors Kelley and Renninson offer these tips to parents:

1) Explain that loss comes in different forms: a friend may move away, but Grandpa won’t be coming back after death.

2) Parents should understand the stages of grief and discover how to cope with their own pain, so they are in a better position to help their child.

3) Parents need to develop a “family philosophy on life, death and friendship” which they follow for themselves and teach to their child; they also need to prepare for the many questions children will ask about life and death.

"Children usually mimic their parents," says Renninson. "Unfortunately, many parents don't know how to handle grief well themselves, so it's hard for them to be good role models."

“To help them, we’ve included ‘A Companion Book for Parents and Guardians’ at the end of Zooch, written specifically for adults offering helpful information about guiding children through these trying times while coping with their own grief,” adds Kelley.