1stMoon Reflections

How important is it to have a pet? Are pets important for child development? Before we answer these questions it is important to note that some families have a lifestyle, or live in a place that makes pet ownership unwise. If no one is usually home, family memebers have allergies, you rent a house or apartment that does not allow pets, your family oftentakes trips that exclude pets; then pet ownership is probably not for you. That's okay. The lessons children (and adults) learn from pets can be taught in other ways. And no child is "deprived" because they don't own a pet. Differences make this world a very interesting place!

Every family is different so the answers to the above questions will necessarily be different for each family. Here are some of my thoughts.

Children can learn a great many things from pets. But just having a pet doesn't automatically teach these lessons. It is up to the parents to guide their children. Responsibility is a big deal. Being responsible for a pet can increase a child's self-esteem, and help them develop responsible habits. How do you get a child to remember to feed the dog? For young children it helps to tie it to their own needs. When they want breakfast, because they're starving ask quietly if they fed the pet. No food and water for Fido, no breakfast for them! This helped my son understand that he needed to feed his pet, not because it was a chore, but because he loved her and didn't want her to be uncomfortable.

The litterbox (or pooper patrol for the dog) was another story. These are very unpleasant tasks. My son learned to do them, because he wants his pets to stay healthy. Imagine what the bathroom would smell like if no one ever flushed the toilet! He is old enough that we we can play the what if game. What if something happened to Noa (the cat) or Bozo (the dog) because you didn't take care fo them? How would you feel? Can they take care of themselves? Are you being fair to them? My son can reason through the answers and often comes to some very good conclusions all by himself.

For me, pets help with some of life's lessons, in a real and concrete way. That is not to say there aren't other, and perhaps even better ways to learn, but for our family, pets are an important addition we wouldn't want to be without.