Five Things Your Child's First Pet Can Teach Them
Who Knew that Pets Could Teach Kids?
A First Pet Teaches Responsibility
When your child gets their first pet, it is imperative that you have them handle caring for the pet right from the start in some fashion. While putting the feeding of a new puppy in the hands of a five year old is not a great idea, you can certainly oversee the process to ensure the dog gets fed. Still, allowing your child to handle feedings as well as cleaning up after the pet can be a great lesson in responsibility.
A First Pet Teaches Friendship
Perhaps no other lesson in friendship is quite so stark as that of a first pet and a child. Children will naturally see the pet as a trusted friend, and will embrace the friendship. Some children have tough time making friends and will benefit from that first pet in this way. Over time, they will begin to branch out to their other friends, but the first pet will remain a close and trusted friend.
A First Pet Teaches Companionship
Knowing what it means to have a companion is impossible for some children, because kids at school come and go. A first pet will be there day after day until their time has come, and will be a close companion regardless of what is happening in the world. That is a good lesson for your child.
A First Pet Teaches Compassion
First pets also can teach your child about compassion. The pet will certainly have periods of sickness, and the child will learn what it means to show compassion. Compassion for their first pet is usually very strong, so it is a really good lesson for your child.
A First Pet Teaches Loss
Losing someone that is close to you is a rite of passage that all people eventually go through. A first pet is often the first experience that a child will have with such a thing. This is a tough lesson to learn, but a very necessary one for a child.
Published by Rodney Southern - Featured Contributor in Sports
My name is Rodney Southern and I have a lovely wife, Julie, and two beautiful twin daughters, Brooke and Valerie. Also, I was the 2008 Ultimate Call for Content Winner, and awarded a Top 100 badge for Associ... View profile
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- First pets always are remembered fondly.
9 Comments
Post a CommentGreat article for parents thinking about pets for their children.
Very nice Rodney!
so very true
All true, and we never stop learning from them!
Very well done all kids should have a pet.
so very true!
Good article; having a pet can be a good learning experience for a child.
So true!
Good one, Rodney.