How do I correct telling my child our cat went to sleep when she now fears bedtime?
Parenting"If I sleep in the chair, will I wake up?" My five-year-old asked that after our cat died.
I had told her the cat was very old and had gone to sleep forever. I thought it sounded gentle. She asked when he would come back, and I said he wouldn't. At bedtime she wanted to know whether choosing a different place to sleep would stop the same thing happening to her.
I realize I used sleep to mean something that isn't sleep. [Cambridge University Hospitals' guidance on talking with young children about death recommends clear words such as dead and died, rather than sleep or lost](https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/patient-information/when-someone-has-died/).
My partner wants to replace the cat quickly so she has something cheerful to focus on. I don't want a new animal to become another way of avoiding the explanation. We can talk about whether the family wants another pet later. Right now, what would you say to correct my words, and how would you answer questions I can't fully answer without making more promises I can't keep?