How children benefit from having pets

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If you want to teach your kids some life lessons, you should definitely get a pet. Regardless of species and breed, animals are an excellent addition to the family circle and they’ll help your child grow, develop and learn how to love and care for other beings. Here are some of the top perks of having a furry or feathery friend in your home.

Pets can help teach kids about responsibility and love

Teaching your kids important values for adulthood is super-easy with a pet onboard. With a dog or cat in the house, even the smallest kids can pick up the main guidelines about responsibility and nurture. With babies and toddlers, you can set a good example of the significance of duties, loving, gentleness and caring by feeding, grooming and cleaning the animal in their presence. Depending on the kid's age, you can also shift some pet-related chores to them and teach them in practice how to treat other beings in their life.

Furry companions foster healthy emotions

In case of the pet’s illness or a surgical procedure, kids will get a real-life lesson on how to behave toward the weak and the helpless. As the dog or cat is recovering from a trauma, you will show your child how to approach the animal, feed it, serve its Royal Canin prescription, pet it and give it enough breathing room until they’re healthy, fit and ready to play again. (A word of caution: it may be wise to keep your toddler away from the animal until the pet is at least partially recovered -however loving, small kids are not exactly masterful at wielding their weight and grabbing force).

Animals assist children’s cognitive and social development

Before you get a pet, you can encourage your child to research the information about their furry friend-to-be in books, encyclopedias and on the internet. This may help spark interest in learning and contribute considerably to the child’s cognitive development. Also, studies have shown that children with pets have better social skills, improved self-esteem and are more outgoing than those without an animal in the house – if nothing else, furry companions can make excellent conversation starters and interaction facilitators with both adults and other kids.

Physical benefits of having a pet

On top of emotional and cognitive perks for the child’s growth, pets can help your child develop physically as well. Kids in families that own dogs are less likely to be overweight or obese and are in better shape than their petless peers as all that playtime helps the little ones stay fit and active. Other advantages of pets for the child’s physical health include lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, better motor skills, fewer respiratory infections, improved immunity and decreased stress levels. Whether you believe it or not, a pet a day can pretty much keep the doctor away.

Drop the piano tutor and dance classes – a pet may just be the best life lesson you can provide your child with. And your kid will definitely love the idea, too.

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