Image credit: Pexels
Parents often face a difficult question: do you have a pet in the house? How much will the child’s development benefit from the fact that the baby grows next to a four-legged friend? Will not a child take the pet as a toy?
Pets and child development
Almost every kid at some point in his life begins to ask his parents: “Well, please, let’s get a kitten or a puppy. Petit has such a cool turtle, I also want this! “To yield to these requests, parents have a lot of good reasons. An pet in the house is not just an interesting way to spend leisure together, these are the first lessons of kindness and responsibility for the child in the most graphic form. Communicating with a kitten or throwing a wand to a puppy, the kid is not just entertained, he gradually understands the true meaning of St. Exupery’s words: “We are responsible for those who have tamed.” The pet completely depends on the person, trusts him, the quality of care will depend on the life and well-being of the pet.
Even if the child does not take an active part in the pet feedings, walks with them, nursing procedures, he still sees – every day in the morning before work the daddy takes us out to the street of our puppy, then the mother of the house will wash the dog’s paws, feed her, comb the hair. What happens if you do not do this? If parents decide to rest at home longer, they will forget about food – the puppy will suffer very much, it will be bad for him. “How bad would it be for me if I was not allowed to play, not allowed to eat and go to the toilet”? The baby inevitably projects the simplest physiological sensations, and thus the child develops in the emotional-volitional sphere.
Parents need to remember this
There is no disputation, caring for pets in the house has a beneficial effect on the cultivation of consciousness in the child. But do not forget about important principles, the violation of which can nullify the entire pedagogical effect in this case. Chief among them – the full responsibility for a living soul parents take on themselves and no one else, deciding on the appearance of a beast in the house. Even if the child has long asked for and long dreamed of a puppy, if he agreed to walk around a neighbor’s dog, and now considers the puppy his, do not give in to delusions, as if he fully realizes what it really is – to be responsible for the pet.
A pet in the house is a living being, a separate person with his own character, characteristics and his daily needs, which must be performed as qualitatively as possible. This is not a toy that can be thrown into a corner, if it gets bored, and no longer get it. This is not an out-of-date brand of the car that can be handed over, because the repair has become uncomfortable. This is a full-fledged life that the family must support at any time, even if it becomes uncomfortable and unpleasant. Young children simply can not understand the full extent of that responsibility, taken once for many years to come, he will not have enough life experience. Therefore, the decision on the appearance of a pet in the family is made only by the parents, and the parents are ultimately obliged to perform all the necessary processes related to this. You can blame the kid for pedagogical purposes: “How come you promised to clean the rabbit’s cage and did not do it?” But you can not leave the rabbit tormented in unsanitary conditions only because the lesson of responsibility was unsuccessful.
Children should not do this
Often parents bring a pet into the house, without thinking about what high substances – they just do what the kid has long asked for. He so wanted a new friend, a kitten or a puppy to play with him, proudly show off walking, show to friends, see how the pet eats, help him bathe in the tub. So let them deal with these matters, the development of the child will only benefit from such a diversity in life. Of course, this is so, but it is important to ensure that the crumb does not overdo it. The rapture of the first days will become the main sensation, the kid will want to spend every moment of life with the pet, playing with him constantly. Allow parents to do this neither in the beginning, nor later. An pet is a living being. When it appears in a new house, it experiences great stress from parting with the habitual habitat. We need to let him get used to, get used to his new family and new way of life. You can not neglect these first feelings of the beast, especially if he is still a baby, otherwise instead of the expected friend, you can soon find an embittered creature.
Also, you should not allow the crumb to flirt with the pet. Of course, this is the main type of communication that a child thinks about when he asks for a pet. But even a kitten or a puppy full of baby energy can not play forever, they need rest. In addition, one should not impose his communication on the pet – if he does not agree to contact himself, then attempts to stir him will be forcibly perceived as aggression, which is simply not safe for the child. To play with small pets, a kid should do it only in the presence of his parents. These creatures are very fragile, the crumb can accidentally destroy a rabbit’s foot or choke a hamster without calculating effort without malicious intent.
What friend will the baby choose
Since the main care of the pet will be carried out by the parents, they must decide on who will be the new member of the family. In order for the choice to justify the expectations, it is necessary to carefully analyze the pros and cons, thoroughly study the characteristics of caring for the beast, assess the changes that family life will undergo, and think about its priorities. In the house there will be a cat, or a dog, or a guinea pig, because they want to have parents, too? Or have they already kept these pets as a child and ready to care for them? Or the main point – the minimum care and the ability to easily organize it by the forces of other people, when the owners will not have such an opportunity (for example, for long trips)? Each question has its own answer, each pet has its own pluses and minuses.
A dog is the most common kind of pet. This is an inexhaustible source of positive and devotion, playing with her diverse, is the best friend for many years. But it must be remembered that caring for the puppy is not very simple. This is a certain routine of the day – the puppy will need to walk at least 5 times a day – a special diet of the pet, active upbringing. An ill-bred dog is a threat to the family and society. Go on vacation and leave such a pet in the house is impossible – you will need to find who will take care of it instead of the owners.
Image credit: mcconnmama
A lot of people love cats. They are very aesthetic, they do not need to be strolled in the street, the cost of feed will be less than in the case of a dog. But we must remember that the cat – the creature is very independent, adult pets are rarely playful, but they can exhibit aggressiveness more often than dogs, and cat’s claws are very sharp. And the cat will also need to organize supervision for the time of absence of the owners.
Birds are merry and simple in their care. The food they need is quite economical, many accessories will not be needed. The cage can be left for a number of days – if there are food and water supplies, the bird will safely survive on its own for a short period. But birds are not very contact, they need to accustom them to communicate with a person in a special order.
Rodents seem to be perfect pets – they do not take much space, they do not require troublesome care, you can communicate with them by taking them on pens. But like a cat and a dog, rodents need daily feeding and water supply, and many species – for example hamsters – are highly aggressive and can bite a child.
Sometimes it’s better to refuse
Alas, sometimes there are situations when parents will have to decide that pets will not be in the house. First of all, it is the presence of an allergy from any member of the family, or a predisposition to it. It’s not just about the allergy to wool – a negative reaction of the body can cause any related products necessary for caring for the beast. The development of the child should not harm his health. Also, you can not start a pet if one of the family members is strongly opposed to it. Everyone has the right to comfortable living in their own home. Ignore someone else’s opinion on such an important issue is unacceptable.