Having pets around the
house is a great way to introduce your kids to animals, and how to love and
care for them, at an early age. Having a family pet is a good place to start,
but at some point, they will probably show interest in having their ‘own’ pet. Sites
such as petsarethebest.net talk
about the great reasons that pets in the home are good for your kids. But, when
are your kids old enough to be responsible for them?
Newborns to Toddlers
At such a young age,
your kids will still be learning about themselves, let alone taking care of
another. At this age, you should make sure your family pet is introduced calmly
to the children. You should not leave your pets and young children together
unattended, as it is very easy for them to hurt each other by mistake, under
the pretense of ‘playing’. It is important they build a positive relationship
with each other and you can begin teaching your child about how pets need
taking care of. If you already have a dog and are expecting a baby, you should
also take care when introducing the baby. Dogs
can get jealous too, so it’s important to make sure your dog does not feel
pushed out by the new baby. Even the most gentle, loving animals, can become
unpredictable when excited or jealous.
Three- to Six-Year-Olds
At this age, you can
start getting your kids more involved with taking care of your pets. Do not
expect them to take full responsibility for
an animal, but letting them help you with certain tasks is a good way to start.
Every child matures differently, but at around six-years-old, you can begin
assigning small tasks. You should still be present, but let your child feel
like this is their task. Feeding the pet at a certain time every day can help
them to establish a positive routine and a feeling of responsibility. Gentle
encouragement and reminders can reinforce your child’s positive attitude
towards taking care of your pet and help
them develop empathy towards animals.
Six- to Twelve-Year-Olds
By this point, you can
give your kids small tasks to take care of, but keep in mind that you are the
one responsible for the pet’s wellbeing. You can incorporate tasks into the daily
routine, such as giving
the dog dinner before your child sits down for dinner. This can work well as a
reminder and mean you have the option to reinforce the importance of the task.
If your child does not give the dog dinner, then your child misses out too. If
your child is hungry, they can empathize with your pet, who will also be
hungry. You can help them to understand things from the pet’s perspective, and
how we must take care of our pets as they cannot take care of themselves.
The type of pet you
choose will also come with different levels of difficulty. A small pet such as
a goldfish, gerbil or guinea pig is a good option for a child that wants their
‘own’ pet. Whereas a puppy that requires training and walks will deliver different challenges. Whichever type of animal
you have or choose, supervision is always important, to ensure your child and
your pet’s safety. Your child and your pet will develop their own bond and an animal around the house is a great way to promote
positivity towards animals.
Check out this piece on reasons for annoying puppy noises and how to deal with them!
