All children love pets! They may be requesting you for a kitten to hug or a rabbit they can stroke but you are hesitant to fulfill their pleas as it is a big responsibility. The benefits of pets for kids far outweigh any confusion you have now.
You may be wondering whether it is the right time for having pets. The truth is the gains of pet ownership are many.
Pets Bring Joy and Warmth
Pets are loveable and plenty of fun. They give kids ample joy and company. So, if you are adding a furry or feathered pet to your household, you have probably done an amazing thing.
Also, pets can help develop positive feelings in your kid. They can boost your child’s self-esteem and self-confidence. Pets can help to reduce stress in the family. They can help kids to develop positive relationships with others.
Pets can also help your kid to develop non-verbal communication, kindness, and feeling for others. They can teach your child a great deal about love. Children raised with pets learn to care for others and they imbibe invaluable lessons of treating people the same way.
Benefits of Pets for Kids
Health Benefits and Lesser Allergies
Studies show that kids growing up with pets have many health benefits. Children raised with pets are exposed to certain bacteria and are less prone to develop common allergies. They have fewer respiratory problems and scarcer ear infections than kids without pets.
Kids acquire a stronger immune system with pets around them. As the kids play with them, they have fewer childhood allergies and asthma. Kids who owned pets are more capable of fighting an infection such as colds and the flu than those children without pets.
Increases self-esteem
Kids owning pets have higher self-esteem than others. The reason is they have a pet to love who loves them equally, and a friend to talk and play around with when no one else is present in the house. Your kid also learns to be more self-confident as the pet helps to boost his academic skills. Reading out loud to a loyal dog can turn a reluctant reader into a self-confident one. His sense of worth increases as he grows.
Lowers Stress-Levels
Another big benefit of having a pet at home is less stress. Grooming, touching, or caressing a furry pet can help reduce stress levels among kids.
Decreases Anxiety
Having a pet at home can help decrease anxiety among kids. Caressing pets can help reduce blood pressure and help kids to tackle positively during exams. Research has shown that playing and petting a pet lowers the stress hormone cortisol increases levels of the feel-good hormone oxytocin.
Provides Companionship
Owning a pet helps to ward off feelings of loneliness. Kids often find companionship with their pets and stay away from feeling isolated and depressed. They find comfort, support, and security from their pets, and are generally less anxious than their friends. As the kids grow, they become more socially active.
Kids also share their secrets and private thoughts with their pets. They are often seen to be comfortable talking to their pets like they do to their stuffed toys.
Strengthens Family Bonds
Having a pet helps to strengthen family bonds as they often attract family activities. Simple and enjoyable tasks that kids also love include walking the dog together, grooming, or feeding the pet. It helps the kids and the family members to take pleasure in each other’s company and build strong communication with one another.
Healthier Lifestyle
Having a pet helps to foster a healthy lifestyle among kids. Daily activities like playing with the family rabbit or the dog in the garden, encourage kids to be physically active and socially amicable.
Helps Coping with Challenging Events
Having a pet at home helps kids to understand and learn about the cycle of life. They provide training about life, like reproduction, birth, illnesses, accidents, death, and bereavement. For instance, the death of a pet can actually help kids to cope with challenging life events in the future. They become more emotionally strong and prepared to deal with difficulties in life.
Assists Reading Skills
Kids can boost their learning skills with the help of pets. They are presumed to be non-judgemental friends and kids strive to improve their reading skills in front of their pets. In particular, developmentally challenged kids reluctant to learn in school are encouraged to read out loud to animals. These kids feel more confident in doing so and in this way, the pets assist kids in the learning.
Teaches to be More Responsible
Pets help kids to be more responsible. Daily activities such as walking the dog or cleaning out the rabbit hutch help children to be sensible and mature. It also gives them a sense of achievement. As kids begin to care for their pets, they start developing empathy for others. They begin to respect other living beings.
Valuable Lessons
Having a pet in the house will help your kid learn a lot from your nurturing such as being kind and gentle even in the most difficult situations. Your kid will learn to be responsible and help you in your daily chores like pouring food into a dish. By helping you in simple activities, your little one will realize that pets, just like people, need food, shelter, exercise, and love and learn about valuable lessons like empathy and concern.
Pets can serve different purposes and provide invaluable advantages to kids. They help in the overall development of a kid’s health and happiness. So, the next time if your kid insists on owning a pet, do get it right away as the rewards are more than you can think!
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