Just what are you supposed to say to your kids when they ask you for a pet? It is definitely true that growing up with a pet can teach your children responsibility and will help to develop their social skills. It will also help in cultivating good feelings towards animals which helps kids to develop a sense of self esteem and helps them to establish essential relationships with other human beings. Before you give in to your kid's demands for a snake, dog, rabbit, salamander, kitten, python, or macaw, there is a lot of things for you to consider.
One of the first things to keep in mind is that no matter how much your child promises that they will be the one to take care of the pet, most if not all of that responsibility will likely be yours. That is an inevitable fact of life. No matter how good your child's intention is, there will be some, and perhaps many, occasions when other things take priority in their minds and the pet will be neglected.
Secondly a child may believe that the thing which they want most in the world is a cute little black and white puppy, just like their best friend down the street has. The child has will convinced themselves that they want a puppy, and a puppy will hold their interest for ever and ever. And it will, until their new best friend gets a snake which is just sooo cool. So you will need to ensure that the pet which your child is wanting will be a long term passion, and not just the flavor of the week.
It is always a good idea to discuss the idea with the entire family. How does everyone else feel about barking dogs, shedding cats, or squawking parrots? If one of your children is allowed their own pet rat, will all of children demand a pet of their own as well? Does anybody in the family suffer with an allergy that would make sharing their home with a pet intolerable?
Is the type of animal your child wants suitable for your familys lifestyle? A dog that needs two trips to the park every day may not be right for a family who is away from the house all day. No matter how much your child promises that they will walk the dog, there will be times that they will have something better to do, (and times that you may not want them to, late at night for example). Choosing pets for kids is not an easy task; often the type of pet that they wish for would not be the best match for their age and experience.
There are many, many other things to consider when choosing a pet for your children, but hopefully this short article will give you a reason to think about the fact that buying a pet for your child, is not the same thing as buying them a bicycle or a cell phone. Pets are living breathing creatures, they require care, they need commitment, and they need love.
