Kids with pets Experience Endless Benefits- Here Are a Few to Discover. Pets can provide kids with endless benefits from lower blood pressure to fewer allergies to increased physical activity. Along with many physiological perks, kids experiencing less anxiety and depression improved learning outcomes and social-emotional effects. Photo by Jennifer Vestry Kirsch
Kids who grow up with pets experience endless benefits, including lower blood pressure and fewer allergies, along with increased physical activity. Withpet relationships being shown to reduce loneliness and increase self-esteem, kids also engage in more social play and larger social networks.
One of my favorite ways that children can use pets is as a focal object (AKA anxiety or sensory help). Older children with special needs can find animals like guinea pigs soothing touches while they are looking far away or concentrating on something. These activities reduce feelings of loneliness and frustration that are common in their daily lives.
Pet relationships can help kids build trusting relationships
Although it might seem like all Americans own some type of pet, 75% of American households actually do. Pets are seen almost everywhere in the United States – in homes, schools, neighbors’ and more. When kids share their sadness, anger, fear or (even smaller) secrets with their pets they feel understood. These relationships will help build trusting relationships that can help children and belong to the family unit.
Some 75% of U.S. households have at least one domestic animal, and pets are seen in extra-curricular settings as members of family, loyal friends and emotional support. Kids know their pets don’t understand but feel unconditionally accepted by them. These relationships can help build trusting relationships with peers and family members.
Kids identify their pets as members of their family as well as loyal friends who provide acceptance, emotional comfort and companionship.
As children see their pets as comforting companions, they learn to care for them in return. It starts with basic responsibilities of pet ownership by being helpers. Parents can offer age-appropriate prompts to add food, refill water, change puppy bedding, or scratch behind their ears throughout the day.
Kids are constantly playing with their pets and learning about the way that animals need care, which ensures the empathy development for both themselves and their friends. Siblings and friends also enjoy playing together with pets, and practice taking turns by sharing experiences and caring for one another’s pets in a fun way.
As children grow, they learn how to care for their pets. Starting with basic tasks such as feeding, watering, and changing bedding, children will learn how to handle the responsibilities of caring for a pet by showing that they can do the job well. They’ll also practice reading the needs of their pets and understanding their signals. These actions provide a lesson in understanding others’ needs and leads to empathy development.
For kids late on the idea that a pet is an extension of themselves–the dog is loved but doesn’t really become a member of the family until it turns int or you’re taking care of your little sister’s goldfish–learn about whether or not your child might be more into soft toys or fluffy mice.
If so, let them try playing with those first and then build from there. These early experiences can help kids build on skills learned in playing out scenarios like turn-taking and “sharing” favors with their siblings later on it comes time for birthday parties and other social gatherings with friends or extended family members who may not have been as willing to give up their piggy at home.
Kids’ social play with animals can be compared to human play patterns
When your adult role is fulfilled, children take responsibility for the pet’s welfare and allow them to do what pets are good at. Kids’ play routines with their pets are much more child-directed when adults aren’t involved.
More than other creature, dogs have co-evolved with human environments and can thus appropriately interpret human signals when given enough opportunity to do so (for example, giving your dog a belly rubs). When it comes to other animals, children will typically play as you would inflate a balloon.
They find various ways to engage in pretend play by using their pets as props in make-believe scenarios (holding tea parties with your cat or putting it in a baby carriage). The cat will only allow this briefly, but the parent needs to supervise so the animal doesn’t get too stressed out or injured during enthusiastic garment activation or tail pulling.
Even though they may seem to anthropomorphize their stuffed animals or toys, children consider live animals to be like people and treat them as such. In fact, children’s social interaction with animals can be directly compared to interaction between children and adults.
