As a parent I think it’s important to have pets within the household, not just for their dedication and affection but because I think they teach my Children a sense of responsibility. As a child I was fortunate enough to have a pet dog growing up, her name was sweetie, a black Labrador. I was only 6 or 7 at the time, she was the neighbour’s dog, abandoned and came over, not because we were special but because she was hungry. To my parents credit, as we didn’t have much money, they said that Sweety could remain with us and when the owner turned up one day, all he did was gave us $1 dollar to feed the dog and left, never to be seen again. I couldn’t have been happier, not sure about my parents though.
This was my first foray into pet ownership, it taught me companionship, devotion and above all responsibility. Responsible for the maintenance of the dog, ensuring she was feed, had plenty of exercise, and she did, was regularly bathed. I looked forward to getting home after school so I could be with Sweety, and hence some of my fondest childhood memories are about the relationship I had with her.
This is an aspect which has been with me into my adult years, I have already written a post about “Peppi and Bella”, the dogs the Pet Dedicated site refers to. Hence because I thought it was important, then I had no hesitation to have more pets in the house now that I have children. I can see the time dedicated to our pet’s welfare by my Children. In the event we go on holiday the first question is if the location is pet friendly, and if not where can our pets go to ensure their safety.
Admittedly, having a pet around the house does provide my children more than just responsibility, from a young age, actually even before some of them where born, the dogs were part of the household. Once old enough, the Children were responsible to ensure the pets had enough food and water, which gave them first glimpse of accountability and obligation. They also learned empathy and compassion by caring for their pets, while also developing a higher level of self-esteem.
These days the pets provide constant companionship, as childhood can be testing at times, as you are developing and getting to know who you are as a person. So having the pets around has provided constant companionship through the ups and downs. Dogs and pets in general have been a great source of comfort for the kids, even when they were coming to grips with difficult life lessons. Whenever the girls felt sad, angry, or afraid, they always turned to their pets. By petting and cuddling the dogs in particular and the other pets has shown to relieve their stress and helped them to relax.
If nothing else, it has definitely provided a lot of exercise, caring for the pets, especially the dog has encouraged a more active lifestyle. It seems that the children, especially my younger two spend most of their time outside. I think that I read somewhere that kids with dogs exercise eleven minutes a day more than their non-dog owning peers. It doesn’t sound like much, but over the course of a year it does add up. The dog is taken out regularly for walks or runs and plenty of play time. Those adorable puppy eyes sure are a motivation even when we are not feeling up to it.
It has been said that babies raised in close contact with a pet get sick less often in their first year of life, meaning fewer visits to the doctor’s office. Exposure to pet dander and the microbes that pets carry into the home from the outdoors is suggested to improve babies’ developing immune systems. Research has also found that children who grow up with dogs experience a reduced risk of allergies. I’m no doctor, but as a parent, there really haven’t been too many trips to the Doctors for any of my children and I have four.
Finally perhaps one of the greatest benefits of pet ownership for children and providing a sense of responsibility, especially in the early years is simply that the pets made my children happy. The interaction with the pets has proven to raise their spirit levels, even during our own internal arguments, or let’s say disagreements. So there has mostly been a positive vibe around the house when pets occupy some of the space. From personal experience, from having pets as a child and now as a parent playing and interacting with pets, especially dogs is fun. Having them in the house, not just the kids but the pets as well, brightens our day, especially the kids. Growing up with a pets can enrich the lives of children in so many ways. Having a pet join the family was one of the greatest gifts we could give them.
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