The Incredible Benefits of Getting a Family Pet
Lots of us fondly remember our childhood pets. Whether it was a dog, cat, hamster or ferret, we look back at our friendship with them and smile. So it’s understandable that we might want the same for our kids. But with our busy lives, how can we be sure that we have time for a pet, and that the kids will pitch in and help to look after it? If you’re having doubts about whether to get a family pet, there are lots of excellent reasons that could convince you that it’s the right thing to do. Pets can help to teach children to be more responsible, encourage empathy and nurturing and even make them healthier. Read these incredible benefits of pets for children to help you decide if your family should add a furry companion.
Learn Responsibility
Teaching your children to be responsible is one of the essential lessons of growing up. You don’t want them to reach their teenage years or even adulthood and be unable to take responsibility for anything in their life. Owning pets is one of the best ways of learning this skill because they have to care for a living thing, whose health and happiness is in their hands. You may already encourage them to do some chores appropriate to their age. But looking after an animal will also necessitate essential tasks that children of all ages can do. Your kids can learn the importance of taking care of their loved pet and the consequences if they don’t do it.
Develop Empathy and Nurturing Skills
Empathizing with others, whether they’re people or animals, is a skill that all children need to develop. It can be a struggle for little ones to imagine how someone else feels and to treat them appropriately. But taking care of an animal can help them build these skills and form an attachment to their new friend. They can learn to love and nurture, practicing their caring abilities on their pet. Young children often show signs of nurturing and caring natures when playing, especially when they see their parents look after a younger brother or sister. You can encourage these signs when you get a pet by showing them how to do the daily tasks required to keep your pet happy and healthy.
There are lots of different tasks that children of all ages can participate in to learn how to care for their new friend. They can walk the dog with you and play with them in the backyard, they can help provide water and superfood enriched dog food to dogs, clean out cages and groom them too. You might even want to encourage them to take a further interest in your pet’s health. You can show them the importance of giving them flea and worm medication when you buy it from Pet Fleas or a similar retailer. They can also learn to connect to your pet on an emotional level by recognizing how they express their emotions. And you could take them on trips to the vet so they can see how your veterinarian helps to keep them healthy. In addition, when you’re going out of town for a vacation or a business trip, you may consider entrusting your pets to a professional pet sitter who can provide in-home pet sitting, personalized attention, and care.
Animal Therapy
Interacting with animals is an excellent form of therapy for children in many ways. Lots of different animals, from cats to horses, play a vital role in development for many kids. Horses are used for therapy animals for children with autism and other developmental delays, for example. And dogs have been used to help children with learning difficulties improve their reading. Animals can be beneficial in both intellectual and emotional ways. As well as evidence that pets help children to learn and develop, it’s also well known that they can be of great comfort. Both kids and adults are soothed by interacting with animals, and therapy pets are often used in schools, hospitals, and elderly care facilities.
Expand Their Interests and Knowledge
It’s important to encourage your kids to take an interest in the world around them. Getting a pet will open up a whole new world for them and give them lots of things to learn about. If your child already shows an enthusiasm for learning about animals, they’re likely to be thirsty for knowledge about their new pet. Discovering new things with your kids is one of the best things about being a parent, and you can take the opportunity to learn together. You can read books, watch TV and videos online and discover everything there is to know about looking after your pet. Your child will get to experience new things, and perhaps they’ll even develop a lifelong interest.
Health Benefits
Owning pets can even have health benefits. There is some scientific evidence that growing up with animals might reduce the likelihood of your children developing allergies. It’s not clear why this might be the case, but it could be that early exposure to certain allergens might cause the immune system to respond and defend itself. As well as that, and the mental health benefits that come with pets’ therapeutic qualities, pets can be healthy in other ways too. Dogs need walking at least once or twice a day and love going on bike rides and other adventures too. Horse riding is another excellent form of exercise that will get kids out in the fresh air.
Bring the Family Together
Pets are also fantastic for helping your family to bond. They become a part of your family and a thread that ties all of you together. Caring for your pet can be a family activity, especially if you’re taking a dog for a walk or doing something similar. Having a shared interest, and a common cause is good for any family. Even just watching your pet do their thing can be a common source of amusement for everyone. They help you spend more time together and give you an excuse to take time out from your busy schedules.
There are tons of brilliant reasons for adding a pet to your family. If your kids have been begging for a furry friend, maybe it’s time to give in and make everyone happy.
