Why You Should Get Your Kid A Pet
Kids love and adore pets and that’s why your child has been nagging you for months about getting a pet. But are they ready for the responsibilities that comes with owning a pet or should you further stall on making a decision?
The decision to have a pet is a big one since pet care takes a lot of time and regardless of your child’s age, you and other family members will have to chip in and help them take care of the pet. If the other family members are game then you should get them the pet they want since there a lot of benefits to kids growing up with pets.
Responsibility
Caring for a pet is good step towards teaching your kids responsibility. Caring for a pet requires regular feeding, washing and grooming and is a good way to a foster a sense of responsibility in your child.
Even with other family members helping, make sure your kid understands that the welfare of the pet is theirs and that they should it gets the best care at all times. This means that they also have to watch the pet for any changes in their health and inform you to check if it’s worthy of a visit to the vet.
Physical fitness
Owning a pet, particularly dogs, which require to be walked daily in order to be healthy can help your child get physically fit.
Sometimes getting the motivation to exercise can be hard to come by and dogs take the dreary out of physical exercise by making it fun and interesting. Kids can run and play around with dogs for hours without realizing the amount of physical exertion that takes.
Furthermore, it also offers a welcome distraction off the TV screen and gets them outdoors which comes with a lot of other health benefits.
Companionship
Furry companions, so they are called. Pets make for perfect companions since they give unconditional love and are always available to snuggle next to you when you want.
Owning a pet can teach your child invaluable lessons about friendship and the importance of always being there for your friends.
Empathy
One of the most important skills in life is empathy and what better way to learn about it than taking care of an animal that you have to learn what it wants without the benefit of verbal communication.
Pets Are The Best for teaching your kid about empathy. They have to learn how to know what the pet wants at any given moment: food, emotional comfort, and exercise.
Kids who own pets are less likely to be bullies and have better relationships with their peers.
Making friends
The responsibilities of caring for a pet improves your child’s confidence and self-esteem, and coupled with other benefits like better communication skills as they attempt to chat up their pets helps them socialize and make new friends much more easily.
Moreover, owning a pet presents several opportunities for your children to meet their peers through which they can become acquaintances.
