Kids and Pets, will it work?

Author: Mary González

Article:
How can my child benefit from having a pet? 1. Social skills and
self-esteem. Feelings and positive experiences with their pet
can help children feel good about their own. Loving a pet can
also help kids to love and trust other people. 2. Exercise. All
pets need to exercise, and playing with their pet is a fun way
to incorporate some physical activity to your kid’s lifestyle.
3. Responsibility and respect. To learn how to take care of
their pet can help kids develop empathy, concern and
responsibility towards other beings. On top of that, during the
life cycle of the pet, parents have the opportunity to talk to
their kids about birth, sickness and death. 4. Parent
interaction. Kids and their parents can spend more time together
playing and taking care of their pet.

How can my child help take care of the pet? 1. A small child can
help out by feeding or providing fresh water to their pet
(portions must be measured by you). 2. The child can help
walking the pet, not alone of course, but just another time to
spend together with your kid. 3. Children can help you in
bathing and grooming the pet. 4. Assign to your child small,
simple tasks that can be performed under your supervision.

How can I keep my child healthy and safe around a pet? 1. Choose
your pets wisely, if you don’t already own a pet, study and
learn from the different breeds and species, you will find that
some are specially “kid friendly”. 2. Consider any allergies a
family member could have, before acquiring a pet. Consult with
your kid’s pediatrician about any allergies that may be present.
3. Take your pet to the veterinary to a general check up before
you bring it home.

* Always supervise interaction between pets and kids. * Teach
your child not to touch any pet, unless you say it’s OK to do
so. * Never leave pets and kids unattended. Kids tend to play
rough and that could provoke an attack or harm a small pet. *
Make sure your child stays away while the pet is eating,
sleeping or taking care of its own offspring. * Teach your child
to keep a good hygiene, not to touch the pet droppings and wash
his hands after playing with the pet. * Treat immediately any
scratch or bite caused by a pet. Consult with your child’s
pediatrician if the scratch or bite tears your child’s skin.

About the author:
Mary González is an Agronomist with a major in Animal Science
and runs the day-to-day operations of her home-based business
which carries aromatherapy products, natural remedies,
nutritional supplements and much more. She can also help you
start your own home-based 100% natural pet supplies business,
you can visit online at: http://www.MindBodyAndPaw.com