Studies show that children who grow up with pets exhibit greater social competence and develop into more socially competent adults than other children. (Guttman et al 1905, Melson et al 1989, Edenburg & Baarda 1995, Melson 1995). By social competence, is meant the condition of possessing the social, emotional, and intellectual skills & behaviors needed to succeed as a member of society. (Owens & Johnston-Rodriquez 2010). Social competence will make it easier for children to belong. Children who have animals around them learn to read the animal’s body language & understand what they know & like. Research shows that sharing feelings with an animal can develop empathy, self-confidence, self-esteem & a belief in their own ability in a child. (https://www.scientiasocialis.it Vol 59 A Study of What Children Learn From & With Pets)
Having a pet in your home is an opportunity to teach responsibility, compassion, empathy & unconditional love. Children can learn many skills while helping to care for pets.
1.Grooming: You can start with a stuffed toy of the animal or a pseudo plastic/vinyl reptile & have your child practice brushing its fur or washing them. They can be shown how to be gentle & to be careful around the pet’s face, especially the eyes. Once your child has mastered “grooming” a fake animal, you can supervise them grooming your pet.
2.Feeding: Children of all ages love to help feed the animals. They want to help get the bowls, fill the food and give treats. They need to be taught that the animal has a specific eating time just as they have breakfast/ lunch/ dinner. They are never to put their hands near the pet’s food when the pet is eating or touch the bowls. The animal might think that they are trying to take the food away from them & the child could get bit.
3.Water: All pets get thirsty the same as they do & they have to make sure that the water bowl or other water delivery system is full.
4.Bathroom: While some kids might go “eeww” & hold their noses or make faces, it’s a part of life – everybody poops. If they help you walk the dog, you have little bags to help pick it up. If you have a cat, then you have a litter box to clean. Or there may be a snake/ reptile/ hamster/ bird enclosure that needs to be cleaned out every few days. Make sure to teach them how to properly clean their hands using hand sanitizer outside & then washing them inside after handling the pet’s wastes.
5.Play/exercise: Make sure that your child & pet have adequate play time together & socialize. The more that they are together, the more comfortable they will be with each other. Both cats & dogs can be outside. They make cat & dog harnesses. So, there will be no fear of the pet getting away. Your child can play fetch with the dog & use a feather toy with the cat. Hamsters/ guinea pigs have special balls that they can roll around inside of. Always have your child give the pet a small reward of a treat & praise for doing a good job of playing cooperatively. Give a treat to the child also for their participation of treating the animal well.
6.Health: There are times when everyone doesn’t feel well, that includes our pets. They may be tired or sick. Children need to be taught that while our pets can’t tell us what’s wrong, we can look and observe how they are behaving. If they are laying down a lot, whimpering, not eating, don’t want to play, not behaving like themselves – the child needs to be told not to bother the pet but to be sympathetic just as they would to a person that doesn’t feel well and that they may need to go to the doctor (the Vet).
7.Love: Pets need lots of love & attention. You need to be gentle with them. You can hug them, sing to them, read to them, talk to them but most of all be kind to them.
It may be helpful to set up a chart so that the child knows when to feed, water, play, & groom the pet. You can use stars, stickers or just check marks whenever they complete a task.
