How Does Having A Pet Affect a Child?

Special Guest Post By: Betti Wilson

Description: When you raise children with pets, they develop a positive feeling towards the pet. In return, they benefit a lot from the animal. It can help enhance self-confidence, learn to trust other people, and acquire non-verbal communication. Also, they help children develop empathy and compassion.

Compassion for Animals Is an Important Part of Parenting – Positive Effects of Pets on Children

Having pets at home is vital. Good pets for children in the home will keep them safe and free from snakes, rodents, and other adversarial animals. They can also alert us when an intruder is in the compound. But, living with pets could be challenging. They require some training and special treatment to help them coexist with members of the family. 

Treating animals carelessly is unhealthy and could result in accidents. It can harm both the child involved and the pet. So children must be taught how to live with pets including being dressed in the right baby washcloths when attending to pets. Besides, they must show empathy to the pet. Showing them empathy could have a positive effect on children.

Here are some of the positive effects of pets on children. 

Valuable lesson

Pets teach children a lot of things. They learn how to be patient, have respect, and behave responsibly. They also teach them to become compassionate, especially when children cuddle the animal. Pets will help children learn to trust their elders.

Responsibility

When children request that you buy pets for children, take the opportunity to teach them about responsibility. A pet will need to be cared for, so the children must learn to be responsible and take care of the animal. They should learn to give it food and take them inside the house when it starts raining or getting too hot. Just like human beings, the pet also needs some love. So children must be ready to show them unconditional love. 

Exercising

Pets require exercise and grooming. The child may need to engage the animal in exercises. They may take it for a walk or run around the compound. It helps the pet to develop muscles and the heart. As children take them through such activities, they exercise and aid their brains and lungs to develop. 

Trust

Well-groomed pets for small children will offer unconditional support when the owner or the handler is sad. Children learn how to cope with a situation. They also learn to stand with them when things are bad. Through the pet, the master can also teach children to trust the pet and learn to be kind to other people.  

Grieving

A pet will at some point pass on. When it happens, a child learns how to grieve. Besides, they get to understand the pain of being bereaved. Also, they feel the pain of losing a friend and learn how to cope with it. They get to know that living things are not mortal and must die at some point. It helps them to understand what death is and how they should behave when it occurs. 

Self –esteem

As the dog shows its unconditional love, it helps to boost the child’s self-esteem. It enables them to know who they are and what is expected from them.

Conclusion

There are many other things that a child can learn from a pet. But respect, loyalty, and trust are the most important ones. A child can also learn to be patient, empathize and feel sorry. 

Do you have other tips to add? Write in the comments section below.

Author’s Bio: 

Betti Wilson is a freelance author, but, what’s more important, what she is really devoted to, is her children. In her articles, she shares her own experience and writes about parenthood, lifestyle, family challenges and how to deal with them without losing a positive attitude.