I grew up with pets and actually have always had dogs in my life except for the first year I got married!
Not only did we have a dog, but we had two dogs, I had two terrapins (mini turtles) and at one point we had a bird, gold fish, a cat (which we found out I was allergic to much to the annoyance of my brother!) and guinea pigs! Thinking back , my parents were brave people having four kids under four and a half and a multitude of pets , it must have felt like a zoo at times!
My kids have always grown up with a dog and at one point my parents bought them goldfish until they all died and I was tired of replacing them and cleaning the tank as the kids were too young!
Is it worth the time and energy of having a pet, what is the benefit of kids growing up with pets?
- Pets teach kids responsibility. Pets need to be looked after, dogs need to be walked , bird cages needed to be cleaned and so forth and all these tasks teach the kids how to look after another being.
- Pets can lower stress in kids. I have witnessed first hand how dogs are wonderful relievers of stress. They are so in tune to our moods and just seem to know when we need them there for a pat and a cuddle.
- Pets teach children how to be kind and to treat others with kindness
- Caring for someone other than yourself can teach kids empathy, and teaches them to make the time for someone else’s needs
- Dogs (especially ),force you to go outdoors and exercise them while actually exercising yourself!
- Pets are wonderful company
- Pets, especially dogs give love unconditionally. They do not care how big you are, how small you are, how well you speak, how well you write, how many friends you have , how well in school you do, they just love you with all their heart unconditionally and purely.
So if you are thinking whether or not you should get a pet, I highly recommend it. If you have never had a dog before, start off with a small to medium size dog and take the time to train it, it will serve you better in the long run.