A kid cuddling his pet is probably one of the most heart-melting scenes on earth. Too innocent, beautiful creatures that you care for are giving some extra love to each other. When one is sick, the other gets sad and tries his best to help the other. When one of them is happy, the other is over the moon. If you have kids and pets, you know that very well. You probably have great memories of your pet and children playing together, running around together, or resting together after a long day. These two seem just to get along very quickly, and their stories are endless. For those of you who have children but are still hesitant to get them a pet, let us tell you that pets can benefit your child in at least 10 ways. Pet Barn is going to introduce some of them to you in this blog.
10 Reasons You Should Get Your Child a Pet
- Having a pet decreases allergies
Studies showed that children raised in a house with pets develop a better immune system and are less likely to get allergies as adults. Other studies show that pet-owner children are better at fighting off colds and flu, so they are less absent from school than kids who do not have pets.
- Having a pet teaches your child to be responsible.
When you bring home a pet for your child, you teach him to be responsible because there are certain routines that your child will need to adhere to. For instance, if you get your kid a dog, he learns that he should take him for walks. If you get him a cat, he learns to give her the right foods at the right time, and so on.
- Having a pet helps your child learn.
At schools, pets, particularly dogs, help kids who have some developmental challenge to learn. For example, if a kid feels shy reading aloud in front of his classmates, reading to his dog can be a good practice as he sees him as a non-judgmental pal.
- Having a pet provides comfort and companionship.
When kids come home feeling anxious, sad, or upset, they will run to their cat or dog before they run to you. There, they can have a cuddle and tell them all about it, knowing that their lovely pets are always ready to listen and that they would not utter any hurtful comments.
- Having a pet brings family members closer.
While you are teaching your child how to take his dog for a walk, how to feed his cat, or how to groom his pet, you are building a stronger bond with him. You spend more quality time together, and you talk to each other more!
- Having a pet encourages physical activity
How do most kids spend their time nowadays? They are either watching T.V programs, surfing the Internet, or playing video games. What do all these things have in common? They are sedentary activities! Having a pet could change that. Your kid will be more encouraged to run around and play with his pet, and thus, he will get all the exercise he needs to remain healthy for longer.
- Having a pet teaches your child to become empathic.
Because children who have pets learn at an early age to put their pet’s needs above their own, they become more empathic. Children are usually self-centered. However, pets communicate their needs in a straightforward way that is easy for kids to understand. This, in turn, helps them to think about the needs of someone other than themselves.
- Having a pet reduces stress, anxiety, and depression.
It has been repeatedly shown that children who have pets feel less lonely and socially isolated. Furthermore, having a pet reduces blood pressure, anxiety, and depression in all people regardless of age. This is why pets have been used to help children with autism. Pets allow these children to have a lower rate of cortisol and feel less anxious and worried.
- Having a pet teaches your child about the circle of life.
We all know that the saddest part of owning a pet is that they cannot stick as long as we wish them to. Pets have a short life expectancy compared to that of human beings. All parents indeed want to shield their kids from facing such heart-breaking goodbyes, but dealing with a pet’s death helps children cope with other challenges that life brings along the way.
- Having a pet is fun.
This sounds like we are stating the obvious but having a pet always brings a lot of smiles to any household.
Before You Get Your Child a Pet
If you are now more convinced and ready to get your kid the pet he has always wanted, you should take a few steps before:
- You need to teach your children to put their things away so that your pet will not have access to them.
- Make sure that you can afford all the extra expenses related to bringing home a pet.
- Do not forget to have a discussion with all members living in the house about what pet to get and talk about expectations and responsibilities.
What kind of pet are you planning to get? Why? Can you think of any other reasons why you should get your kid a pet? We would love to see your answers in the comments!
