Has anyone's child accidentally killed pet?

[bpierce]

My son 14 was diagnosed a few years ago with ASD but ADHD & ODD, mood disorder at 7. He has accidentally killed our guinea pig while giving her a bath unattended. This is not our first small pet to die either. He knows he is not to mess with the animals without permission. Has anyone had this happen? Any suggestions? He does have a tss and my already but this happened between school ending and his camp starting a few days later. It is now causing my husband (stepdad) to feel unsafe especially with our daughters in the home.

 

[umbrellabeach]

My brothers are NT, but when they were kids and our cat had kittens, they tried to give one a bath and drowned it.

 

[I am that which I am]

As unfortunate as the situation is, it is not that unusual for children to play with animals in a way that is a bit too rough or forget them in the bath. I wonder if he feels awful about it but he might not show you that he is ashamed of what he did. It might be useful and perhaps better to show him what he can do instead of cannot do and to shame him. Perhaps how to handle small animals carefully and pay more attention to them. Having AS he might not benefit much from scolding, but would benefit more from positive reinforcement and teaching.

Personally I did not kill a small animal (or any animal) when I was young, nor did my brother (who is NT). I was not always as careful as I should have been with my brother's rats when he first had some (I was 13), but had the awareness to take note of being more careful. None of them died, but once I had one lie with me while watching TV and I did fling it a little too high accidentally when getting the blanket off myself and getting off the sofa. I noticed it flying immediately and went to retrieve it, but I was much more careful after that. Younger children may lack that awareness so they should be taught what to do and a bit of awareness at the same time.

 

[Peace]

I did when I was about his age. I felt terrible, but was unable to show emotion. Instead, it was a time of reflection, and trying to assess what I may have done differently. I think it should be pretty obvious if this boy shows aggressive behavior or not, and therefore if the step dad should be concerned.
I like and agree with what the person above me wrote about the positive reinforcement, believing that it was an accident. Love your son no matter what, and accept him for who he is, for few others will, and it is the most important thing in the world to us. Guidance is much more effective than discipline, especially for unintended consequences.