My two girls, aged 13 and 15, are already dealing with their parent's divorce. Today my ex-wife took them both to the mall, leaving their dog in the car for three hours with the windows rolled up in 80 degree heat. The dog was dead when they returned to the car. My girls are devastated, saying "we killed our dog." I do not want to tell them to blame their mother -- that would not help them deal with the divorce, and she feels bad enough already. And telling them that they bear no responsibility seems futile and perhaps counter-productive. I can help them through the grieving process, but I am unsure as to a short-term strategy to dealing with the guilt and self-blame. Sound advice would be appreciated.
