Is Your Toddler Or Child Ready For A Pet?
Little kids see them everywhere… in the neighborhood, on play dates with friends, in pre-school, and in mall pet shops. Puppies, kittens, guinea pigs, hamsters, fish, birds, rabbits, gerbils - there’s an unlimited supply of animal companions for children and adults alike. Sooner or later, your toddler’s going to ask that one thing that all kids ask their parents at one point or another, “Mommy? Can I have a…?”
Bringing a household pet into the home has long been advocated by experts in child development. Having a pet has many advantages:
* Pets teach children about the existence of other living creatures first-hand rather than on television.
* Pets help children understand nature’s ways and the authentic natural world rather than animated cartoons where all the animals, predators and prey, get along famously. Nice, but it teaches a false perception of the ways of the animal kingdom. Perhaps your toddler is not ready to watch the National Geographic channel where predators mercilessly run down their prey and eat them alive. But the misconceptions of movies such as “The Lion King” don’t prepare your child for the real cycle of life.
* Owning and caring for a pet teaches your child responsibility and accountability. Fish die when they aren’t fed. Hamsters squeal in pain if they’re squeezed. Puppies have housebreaking accidents that need to be cleaned up. Animals aren’t like stuffed Teddy bears; they need food, water, veterinary care, and a clean environment.
* Pets die. Children often have their first brush with death and grief when a beloved pet dies or must be euthanized. Understanding a pet’s death is a dress rehearsal for the death of Grandmother or Uncle Bob. Coping with death is an important part of a child’s socialization.
* Having a pet teaches toddlers the essential skill of empathy with other people and with animals. At this age, children should be developing a sense of compassion and emotional intimacy with others. This is how they learn to make friends and to avoid doing things that hurt others. Caring for a pet is the perfect opportunity for toddlers to learn kindness and tolerance.
* Pets are a lot of fun! Toddlers are endlessly fascinated watching hamsters run on their wheel, the crazy antics of ferrets, the playfulness of puppies and kittens, the graceful movements of goldfish, and the chattering of birds. Having a pet is not only great fun, but pets also provide valuable knowledge about the way real*life animals function in the world. With puppies, they find the only unconditional source of love in their lives.
If you think your toddler is ready to care for a pet, first consider what kind of pet is appropriate for your child’s age, degree of understanding how to care for the pet, and the child’s comprehension that these are living creatures that need daily care. Many of the animals awaiting adoption in shelters have had very rough beginnings. Some were abused, some abandoned and some were “turned in” because the owners didn’t have time for them. Many were left alone for long periods and some were never properly potty trained. In short, when adopting an animal you must be prepared to work with them. They may come to you cowed or with feelings of trepidation and may be overly sensitive to your tone of voice or to any commands you might give them. You will need to be patient and by all means, loving. When they finally realize that they can trust you they will reward you with more affection and loyalty than you can imagine. But, in the meantime, they probably are inappropriate pets for children, especially younger ones.
Not ready for puppies and kittens? Fish, guinea pigs and hamsters make outstanding first pets. Smaller animals enable the child to learn the various tasks necessary to care for another creature and to gain skill in acting with gentleness and true concern. Pets are wonderful teachers!
So, when your child asks if they can have a pet, what will your answer be? Working with animals can be a very rewarding experience and teach your kids many valuable lessons.
Please feel free to visit an informative site about pets and their care please visit Caring For Dogs, Cats and Other Pets.
