5 Ways Dogs Can Help
Fostering Child Development by Jacqui Coombe |Published 09-22-2021
Domesticated animals have been part of human history for thousands of years. Today, millions of families bring pets into their household and love them as any other family member.
We spend billions of dollars feeding and caring for our pets, and they reward us with unconditional love and companionship.
Whether your pets include dogs, cats, reptiles, rabbits, or another type of animal, raising your kids with pets in the home provides a range of benefits, including developmental and physical ones, for your children.
We will take a closer look at what these advantages could include.
Fostering Child Development: Five Ways
1. Responsibility and confidence
Whether it’s a dog, cat, or other animal companion, a pet in the family can encourage kids to become more responsible and confident.
Pets need feeding, exercising, vet care, grooming, affection, and attention. These routines promote a sense of responsibility and build confidence in kids in a number of ways.
From routines kids learn about what’s important to your family, and they help reinforce shared beliefs, values, and a sense of belonging and togetherness.
Routines can also help kids feel secure, safe, and looked after, by establishing an organised, predictable family environment.
Finally, pet-related chores can help kids develop skills in time management and reinforce a sense of responsibility and independence. These can also lead to stronger self-esteem and confidence.
2. Life lessons
Your kids can learn a lot about the key life lessons from your family’s pet.
Reproduction, health, birth, illness, accident, death, loss, and bereavement are some of the things growing up with a dog, cat, or other animal can teach children.
These life lessons could broaden your kids’ perspectives, helping them gain a better understanding of the realities of life.
They could become more resilient in the face of change and challenge as a result.
3. Empathy and unconditional love
One survey found 90% of pet owners believe their pets have a very positive impact on their lives, with love, affection, and companionship cited as the key benefits.
Pets give you unconditional love, without judgement or consequences. Having a trusting relationship with an animal family member can facilitate a greater sense of respect for all living things.
On a practical level, a pet encourages children to think about others: is your dog hungry, or does he need to go outside for a toilet break? This fosters awareness, empathy, and sensitivity towards others.
Additionally, your pets can be trustworthy receivers of the private thoughts and feelings of your children. For example, many kids will confide in their dog.
For only children or children with anxiety or emotional distress, a pet can provide essential comfort and companionship.
The physical affection, comfort, affection, loyalty afforded by a pet can give your kids a safe space, with empathy towards other beings and a sense of unconditional love.
4. Socialisation and emotional intelligence
Positive feelings and relationships with pets can help kids become more successful at developing trusting relationships with others.
From interacting with a trusted animal companion, your children could advance their skills in verbal and non-verbal communication, compassion, and understanding of others.
Pets can strengthen family bonds as they provide a focus for activities like grooming, feeding, and walks.
Additionally, a pet can give a child a safe avenue to share their emotions and thoughts, which can enable kids to better regulate their emotions when they face challenges in their day.
Pets encourage kids to nurture another and provide affection and care. Caring for a pet, whether it’s feeding, grooming, or walking, compels kids to step outside of themselves and focus on the wellbeing of another being.
These benefits can directly impact kids’ socialisation abilities and their emotional intelligence.
5. Better health
Animals provide a connection to nature, and they may offer a number of health-supporting outcomes for children. They could lower blood pressure, boost recovery times and immune systems, and alleviate stress and anxiety.
Studies have shown having multiple pets decrease the risk of kids developing certain allergies and asthma. This could be due to physical interactions, like a pet’s licking, exposing kids to more bacteria and encouraging the child’s immune system to become stronger.
In addition, having a pet such as a dog encourages kids to become more active. Walks, visits to the park, playing in the backyard are all ways a dog can promote kids to do more physical activity and be fitter and healthier.
Fostering Child Development: Pin For Future Reference
Decide if you’re ready for a pet
Growing up with a pet in the household could enhance emotional, physical, social, and cognitive development in your children.
However, it’s important to choose the right pet for your lifestyle and ensure your dog or cat is well taken care of. Very young children might not be the best carers for pets and will need guidance and monitoring when learning how to care for an animal.
On the other hand, parents who model responsible and caring behaviour offer a great foundation for children to grow up beneficially with their pet.
Fostering Child Development: Author’s Bio
Jacqui Coombe is a blogger, marketer, wife, and now mum to a beautiful 1-year-old daughter, Lily, and cavoodle puppy, Max. Finding the right work/life balance is always a juggle, but Jacqui loves being able to combine her learnings and insights of parenting with her passion for blogging.
Does This Article Deserve Your Thumbs Up?
We always appreciate your support and encouragement. Your thumbs up means so much to us. Please like this article.
If you find this page or any page on Small Dog Place Helpful, or Useful in anyway, I’d love it if you would click the small heart found on the bottom right of each page.
You can also share or bookmark this page — just click on the:
Free Monthly Newsletter
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletter and get our Free Gift to You.
my E-book, The Top 10 Mistakes People Make When Choosing a Dog (and how to avoid them)
Normally I do not read article on blogs, however I wish to say that this write-up very pressured me to check out and do so!
Your writing style has been amazed me. Thank you, very nice article.
Hi there! I just would like to give you a big thumbs up for your great information you’ve got here on this post. I’ll be coming back to your site for more soon.
Good day! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this website?
I’m getting fed up of WordPress because I’ve had issues with hackers and I’m looking at options for
another platform. I would be awesome if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.
Female drivers orddinarily earn just 73 percent off what their male counterparts earn, far worse than the 82 percent sped gap across all occupations.
Here iis my blog 비제이 알바
Casinos or gambling homes have existed at least given that the
17th century.
Check out my web-site :: 우리카지노 추천
Users can also earn a Monday Reload bonus
of up too 25% when generating a deposit of $20 or much more.
Here is my website; Online Betting
That is really interesting, You are an overly skilled blogger.
I’ve joined your feed and sit up for in the hunt for extra of your wonderful post.
Also, I have shared your web site in my social networks
Hi there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my facebook group?
There’s a lot of people that I think would really enjoy your content.
Please let me know. Thank you
Yet, girls predicted a greater level of adverse outtcomes than guts did.
Also visit my web-site; 비제이알바
Saved as a favorite, I really like your web site!
It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d certainly donate to this superb blog!
I suppose for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
I look forward to brand new updates and will talk about this website
with my Facebook group. Chat soon!
I every time emailed this weblog post page to all my contacts, for the reason that if like to read it then my contacts will too.
Thank you for the auspicious writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it.
Look advanced to more added agreeable from you! However, how can we communicate?
Nonetheless, most require at least some on-the-job instruction or apprenticeship operate.
Review my webb site; 요정 알바
I love reading a post that will make people think.
Also, many thanks for permitting me to comment!
A person necessarily help to make severely posts I might state.
That is the very first time I frequented your web page and thus far?
I amazed with the research you made to create this actual
put up amazing. Fantastic task!
Thank you a lot for sharing this with all people you
actually know what you are talking about! Bookmarked. Please also visit my website =).
We can have a hyperlink exchange arrangement between us
Just desire to say your article is as amazing. The clearness for your put
up is just spectacular and i could suppose you are knowledgeable on this subject.
Well with your permission let me to take
hold of your feed to stay updated with impending post. Thank
you 1,000,000 and please continue the rewarding work.
This site was… how do you say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something which helped me.
Appreciate it!
Very good post. I am going through a few of these issues as well..
Excellent blog you’ve got here.. It’s difficult to find good quality writing like yours these days.
I seriously appreciate people like you! Take care!!
This is a topic that is near to my heart… Thank you!
Where are your contact details though?
Your method of explaining everything in this article is genuinely fastidious, all be
capable of simply know it, Thanks a lot.
Shee said she’s greater iin a position to be present foor her household — and for herself.
Feel free to visit my web-site … 단기 알바
Pretty! This was a really wonderful post. Thanks for
providing this info.
Excellent post. I am dealing with many of these issues as well..
I am curious to find out what blog platform you are using?
I’m experiencing some minor security problems with my latest site and I’d like
to find something more safeguarded. Do you have any recommendations?
This is my first time go to see at here and i am in fact pleassant to
read everthing at single place.
There’s also an additional rule, which sees half a player’s wager returned if the ball lands on ‘0’.
I used to be recommended this website by means of my cousin. I’m now not certain whether this
put up is written by him as nobody else realize such exact
about my trouble. You are incredible! Thank you!
Awesome! Its genuinely amazing article, I have got much clear idea regarding from this article.
Wow, marvelous blog format! How lengthy have you been running a blog for?
you make blogging glance easy. The overall
glance of your site is magnificent, let alone the content material!