Pets for children: benefits and harms, what to choose?

Children of different ages often ask their parents to buy a pet. If adults nevertheless agree, the question arises of choosing a pet. So is it worth it to start, and if so, whom? How to teach a child to care for a four-legged friend? We will try to give answers to these questions in our article.

The first thing that parents think about: what more is there from a pet in the house - good or bad? Of course, there may be spoiled furniture, a specific smell and wool on the floor and things, but at the same time animals are able to become real friends and create a unique atmosphere in the family. Their main merit is that they give all household members joy and a good mood. In addition, their presence has a beneficial effect on the psyche of the child.

Among the advantages, the following can be noted. A child acquires a true friend in the person of a pet. He becomes more independent, which is facilitated by the need to care for a living creature and responsibility for his life.

Experts say that a child with a pet makes contact easier, communicates more actively with unfamiliar children and makes friends. Walking with a pet can attract the attention of others who themselves will take the initiative to get to know each other. In addition, physical activity will increase significantly.

The kid will be able to more actively learn the world around him, studying his animal. In addition, in some cases, pets help cope with phobias.They have a good effect on family relationships.

Baby having a pet can't call herself lonely. With him, he can share his experiences. This becomes an excellent way out during an illness when contact with others is limited. Psychologists recommend having cats or dogs in families where parents do not have the opportunity to give children enough attention.

Parents should take into account that the child is unlikely to fully care for the four-legged family member. He can solemnly promise it, however, over time, some of the worries will still pass to adults. This is a more frequent cleaning of the apartment, visiting a veterinarian, emergency situations. In addition, most often, pets need a separate food, which must be specially prepared or bought. Respectively, these are additional material costs, sometimes quite tangible.

The animal will become a new member of the family, so its choice should be approached responsibly. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. You can consult with experts. We offer a list of the most popular.

• Undoubtedly, the first place dogs. They are good friends and wonderful guards, but they require special care. We are talking about feeding, walking, swimming and training, and all this will have to be done not once, but daily, without regard to the weather and mood. However, it is the dog that can become a model of devotion and fidelity for the child.

• Next come the cats. Caring for them is a little easier than for dogs, in particular, for the reason that they do not require walking. The content of the apartment is quite suitable for cats. It should be borne in mind that care will also be necessary. This is especially true for long-haired pets. Among the shortcomings can be noted a characteristic smell in the event that the cat has not been neutered, wayward character and exceptional vindication.

• Some people prefer to have bird houses, and parrots are the most common choice. Their peculiarity is that communication occurs mostly at a distance. Of course, you can stroke a bird, but she is unlikely to like it. She needs a clean cage, food, water and toys. Among the minuses of parrots, one can note the desire to constantly spread food.

• As for the fish, then their main drawback is the difficulty in leaving. In addition, they cannot be stroked. However, the aquarium inhabitants are very beautiful, and watching them is calming. Regular cleaning of the container will be required, which children are usually not enthusiastic about.

• You can consider the content of hamsters, mice or rats. Among the advantages can be noted their compactness, as well as the absence of difficulties in care. Hamsters can have a specific smell. Most rats are very smart and very tame, they can be released for walks around the house. Such animals require food and drink, as well as cleaning the cage.

• Often children ask parents to give them decorative rabbit. This option is not the worst. The animal does not cause many problems, while it may have a specific smell, as well as quite a lot of noise at night.

• Chinchillas very beautiful and unusual, but not tame. Active for the most part at night. They scatter sand, gnaw all things around, they can ruin the cage. They do not like touch.

Before you get an animal in the apartment, you need to think carefully about this moment.After all, if you choose it incorrectly, it will not give pleasure to either adults or children. The main point to be guided by is the age of the child. Experts do not recommend buying pets for families whose babies are less than 6 years old. Only older children will be able to understand that in their hands is a living being who has his own needs, who feels pain and fear, and can also defend himself.

In the case when the baby is already old enough to be responsible for the appearance of the animal in the house, you can think about the choice. Hasty decisions are not right. Also, you can not choose an animal, coming to the pet store and grabbing the first one. This step should be balanced and conscious. You should study information about various pets, as well as Visit a pediatrician to rule out the possibility of allergic reactions.

Serious attention should be paid to organizational issues. The animal should be comfortable, and the conditions should allow to keep it in the apartment or on the site.

At the age of 5-6 years, the child has priorities, he can already choose and argue which animal he would like to have. However, he still needs to seriously talk with the child, explaining to him that a living creature is different from a toy, he needs attention and care. In older preschool age, the baby is quite capable of taking a puppy or kitten to the street under the supervision of adults, as well as feeding it on its own.

At the age of 8-10 years, you can focus on rabbits and guinea pigs. The child becomes more adult and more responsible, he will treat the pet more carefully and by accident does not injure the animal. At age 12, a child can be entrusted with caring for aquarium fish, turtles or snails. At 14 or more years, you can get any animal. Both a large dog and a thoroughbred cat, requiring careful care, are quite suitable.

Specialists recommend if possible entrust the choice of the animal to the baby. However, you can’t do without the help of parents. Only they can explain that the content of not all animals is possible in each case and sometimes one desire is not enough. You can turn to special literature, organize a joint reading of the encyclopedia. It must be remembered that we are talking about the realization of a childhood dream, so the participation of elders is very important.

The main work in this direction lies, of course, on the shoulders of the parents. First of all, they must follow, so that the baby does not lose interest in the pet. One way is to tell the child how interesting the day was. For example, a dog could learn a new team, and a canary could sing songs. Accordingly, the child should understand that, refusing to spend time with the pet, loses a lot. This often leads to renewed interest.

If there is such an opportunity, you can invite your baby's friends to visit and come up with fun entertainment in which the animal will take a direct part. The more time they spend together, the more they get closer. You can come up with a fun game in which everyone will participate.

It is necessary to remind the child of responsibility for our smaller brothers. It is worth clarifying for whom exactly the pet was bought, as well as the fact that the baby is already old enough not only to play, but also to look after it independently. This is especially true in cases where the initiative to acquire the animal came precisely from the offspring, and not from the parents. In this case, it is not a sin to even recall the promises that were made before the purchase.

In some cases, you can call for conscience. It is important to make clear to the child that it is necessary to bear responsibility for their words. In addition, during his absence, you can assign the child all the duties of caring for a pet.

It can be noted that the child is already an adult, independent and responsible, so the parents completely trust him. This will allow the baby to prove himself, in addition, he will not disappoint adults and will try very hard. It will be necessary to talk with him after returning home, to evaluate the work done, to find out how the day was spent. It is also important to note that the pet is attached to the smallest owner and needs it badly.

All about the benefits and harms of pets, see the video below.