Is Your Family Ready for a Pet?
They’re cute. They’re cuddly. And doggone it, your child is begging to bring one into your home. Whether you’re considering a dog, cat, bird, goldfish or guinea pig, knowing when your family is truly ready to adopt a pet can be tricky. While pets can become an important part of family life, be sure to weigh carefully the pros and cons of your family’s owning one.
What does it mean to own a pet? In any household with children, an animal should be considered a family pet, not just the responsibility of one person. Everyone should participate in the animal’s care, depending on ability and age. Young children even can take turns feeding a pet or going on walks. This helps teach children that animals are part of the family and deserve the same level of care as humans do.
Teach respect. Children of every age must understand that pets should never be handled roughly. Teaching them to touch gently and to leave the pet alone when it’s eating and sleeping is very important. Just because Johnny wants to interact with the pet doesn’t mean it’s an appropriate time to do so. Self-control is very important for the safety of both your child and the pet.
If a child has a fear of animals, getting a pet isn’t a good idea—just yet. If little Judy is afraid of animals, but her siblings are really wanting a pet, ignoring Judy’s fear isn’t the cure. This can cause the fearful child to make a mistake around the animal. What you can do to alleviate her fear is visit an animal shelter or spend time with a friend’s pet. Introduce her to calm animals, such as older dogs, rather than energetic puppies. How you interact with the pet can help guide her out of her fears.
Does your child struggle to keep up with simple chores, such as brushing his teeth, clearing the table after dinner or keeping his room tidy? If so, he may not be ready for the responsibilities of owning a pet. Once a pet joins the family, a child needs to be consistent with helping feed and care for it. Remind him that a pet cannot join the family until he shows consistency in remembering his own duties around the house. A pet will depend on him every day, just as he depends on his parents every day.
Deciding to get a pet for your children is just as wonderful as it is laborious. However, there is an extensive list of positives to it all. Besides becoming a mom/dad hero to your kids, the rewards of childhood pet ownership extend quite far.
Responsibility and confidence. Not only do children develop a sense of responsibility when caring for a pet, but children gain self-confidence. When they see that they’re doing a good job taking care of their pet, they’re proud of their accomplishments.
Stress reduction. Pets tend to bring a sense of calm for children and adults alike. Animals make us feel more relaxed, and like adults, children often turn to pets when they’re feeling upset or angry. Pets are magical in how they bring peace to almost any situation and provide humans with a sense of safety, security and unconditional love.
Discipline. If a child has a dog, she’ll learn to train it and teach it to listen. It’s been scientifically proven that having a dog helps children learn about discipline, and some would argue that having cats can teach this as well.
Exercise. Activity levels in children with pets are considerably higher.
Compassion. Owning a pet contributes to children’s developing a greater sense of empathy and compassion.
Before bringing any furry pet into your home, be sure to spend time with it as a family to rule out any allergies a family member may have to the animal’s fur and dander. And remember: You can be allergic to one dog or cat breed but not another.
Mom and author Gina Klein lives in Kansas City with her husband, two daughters, tortoises, dogs, cats and fish. Animals have always been a huge part of their family.