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5 Reasons pets are good for kids |
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Monday, 04 November 2013 21:57 |
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The Benefits of Pets
Children love their pets -- and for good reason. Creatures large and small teach, delight, and offer a special kind of companionship.
Everyone knows that kids love animals. A quick safari through your child's bedroom will remind you just how densely imaginary critters populate the storybooks, movies, music, toys, decor, and clothes of childhood. In real life, the amount of money we spend on our pets has nearly doubled in the past 10 years.
Overall, an estimated 4 in 10 children begin life in a family with domestic animals, and as many as 90 percent of all kids live with a pet at some point during their childhood, says Gail F. Melson, PhD, professor emeritus of developmental studies at Purdue University, in Indiana, and the author of Why the Wild Things Are: Animals in the Lives of Children.
When I was growing up, I always had at least one dog padding beside me on every adventure, and my wife was raised on a farm. So we planned all along to make animals a part of our child's life, and we are delighted by how enthusiastically our daughter, Natalie, has embraced pets. Her natural zeal and passion for critters of all kinds has led to our current menagerie of one German shepherd, three cats, a freshwater aquarium, a confoundingly long-lived tank of mail order Sea-Monkeys, and, because we live on 4 1/2 acres of Pennsylvania woods, an endless series of cameo appearances by turtles, mice, moles, frogs, toads, tadpoles, ducks, geese, and slugs -- to name just a few of the creatures that have come to visit.
All these beasts have been beneficial to Natalie's development, but we've been surprised by how wide-ranging those benefits have been. Like most parents, my wife and I counted on the commonsense idea that having pets around would help teach our daughter responsibility, and maybe empathy. But we've also learned that the presence of animals in our house helps foster her emotional, cognitive, social, and physical development. And I've discovered there's plenty of solid evidence to back that up.
Here are five reasons to let the fur fly in your home.
How Pets Help with Learning
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Monday, 04 November 2013 21:46 |
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Age-by-Age Guide to Pet Chores for Kids
Pets are more than cute and cuddly companions -- they're a great way to teach kids responsibility.
One reason families get pets is to teach children how to be dependable, but divvying up the chores is harder than it sounds. Dole out tasks to a child who is too young and you could find yourself cleaning up a bigger mess than you anticipated. Plus, some chores are simply too dangerous for smaller kids. No parents wants to risk their child's well-being on an attempted life lesson, but you also don't want to do everything yourself and miss the chance to give your kids a sense of independence. When introducing chores, consider hygiene and safety, for both pets and kids. Make sure kids wash their hands after handling pet food or animals, such as reptiles, that might carry salmonella. Be sure to supervise any cuddle time or kid-assisted grooming carefully to make sure the pet is enjoying the experience as much as the child is. With the understanding that each child has a different maturity level, here is a basic guide to the right amount of responsibility for different age groups.
Ages 3 to 4
Kids under the age of 5 shouldn't perform pet tasks on their own, but it's a good idea to get them used to the idea that pets need care by letting them "help" you feed and exercise pets and give them water. Feeding is a good choice, as most young kids can scoop out the required amount of food, along with refilling water bowls. Grooming is another good option; soft rubber brushes are easy to hold and gentle enough to use when untangling and smoothing. With dogs, kids can be involved a bit in training, too, such as asking a dog to sit for a treat.
Ages 5 to 6
Once they reach school age, many kids are ready to assume more responsibility for feeding pets, with the exception of feeding raw meat. (Some pet owners do choose to feed their dogs raw meat, so ask your vet for packaged food recommendations.) Kids might even be ready to take on the dreaded litter box, provided that they're mature enough to understand good hygiene (how to wash their hands) and they have refined fine motor skills. The type of litter may be important. Some litters (pine- or corn-based, for example) are messier to scoop than the hard-clumping clays.
Ages 7 to 8
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