I strongly believe that children can benefit from having a pet; as it teaches them about responsibility and caring. for another being.
Learn more on this here
When I was a child my 2 sisters and I had a variety of pets while we were growing up a tortoise,: rabbits,hamsters, a cat and a dog.
As far as I can remember we looked after our pets really well, we got into a routine of cleaning out cages at the weekend and would spend a good deal of time thinking of ways to enrich the lives of our caged pets more on rabbits here
The most important point to condider is who is going to look after a pet if the child looses interest ( as many do).
Children also need to understand that a rabbit or guinea pig who lives in a hutch at the bottom of the garden will still need to be fed, watered and kept clean even when the weather is cold and wet.
Small furey animals neeed to be handled correctly on a daily basis to ensure that they get used to this and therefore are less likely to scatch and bite the owners hands.
Consideration needs to be given as to were the animal will live, can you make a suitable residence or afford to buy one; new or second hand?
Children should always be supervised when around any animal for everyone’s safwty.
If you run a registered child minding business from your home you will need to have a pet policy in place for your furry friends herhttps://thenextbestthingtomummy.com/writing-a-child-minding-pet-policy/e
As always questions and comments are welcome.
Until next time.
Karen
x Linked with
As a childminder with 32 years experience and my own children and grandchildren we have had lots of pets including dogs cats,rabbits,guinea-pig,tortoise, turtles, chinchillas chipmunks, various birds and fish. The benefits for children cannot be over emphasised. They learn so much both from interaction,learning how to care for them, gentleness and empathy and habitats x
That’s fantastic, thanks so much for taking the time to read and leave your comment, Shirley, I do appreciate it
Thanks for sharing things to consider before getting a pet for children.
Visiting today from #PoCoLo#3&4
And thanks for your comment, Paula
We had lots of pets when our kids were home, but right now it feels good to take a break.
Thanks for sharing this, Michele
What a fab post. There really is so much to take into consideration when getting a pet. They are a huge commitment, but equally so rewarding. Thank you for joining us for the #DreamTeam
Thanks for leaving your thoughts, Annette
I think it is really important to give careful consideration to getting a pet and what type would suit the family best. Thanks for linking up with #dreamteam
Absolutely, Laura, thanks for all your feedback on my posts