Raising children is a challenge in itself. However, raising children with animals alongside may be the best decision ever.
With as many as 90% of children living with pets at some stage throughout their childhood, the benefits of having a companion animal cannot be overlooked.
From reducing stress to boosting a children’s self-esteem to increasing the overall health of the family, animals are outright a great addition when it comes to raising kids.
With this infographic we want to point out the great benefits and positive impacts on children growing up with dogs and around animals in general:
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Build relationships
No relationship is like the one between a human and an animal. Especially children respond to animals intuitively. A dog’s love is unconditional, they do not judge or criticize so it is easy for kids to trust and build a relationship with them. Animals are like friends children can always count on and who won’t let them down.
Boost self-esteem
Shy or less-popular kids can benefit from having a pet as they offer a special reassuring kind of companionship, which cannot be provided by humans. Dogs are also often seen as a shared interest with other kids and can give them something to connect over and talk about.
Lower stress levels
The biggest advantage of growing up with dogs can be the lowering of stress levels as animals naturally provide relaxation and relief. This can be valuable in learning situations especially, while doing homework or reading. Positive effects on the overall family harmony have been shown too.
Teach manners and responsibility
Kids can become more confident by having the responsibility of taking care of their furry best friend. This can include fulfilling simple tasks like feeding, grooming or even walking the dog daily. Animals teach empathy, kindness and encourage nurturing as kids learn to actively take care about a living being.
Help socialize
Growing up with dogs can help improve social skills as kids interact naturally with animals. It’s also more likely that kids go out to play more when there is a companion animal in the house. Families also tend to spend more time interacting with each other after they welcomed a pet into their family.
Can be therapeutic
For children with autism or other disorders, animals can help increase communication, lower blood levels and speed up recovery time. Especially kids with physical and emotional challenges can benefit from the presence of an animal as they trust them intuitively since animals only reply with nonverbal cues and genuine acceptance.
Help the family stay healthy
It’s proven that pet owners get less sick overall. Especially kids are generally healthier in their first year of life, showing fewer respiratory problems and infections than kids who were raised around no animals. Early exposure to different bacteria reduces the likelihood of developing common allergies in the future.
References:
http://www.parents.com/parenting/pets/kids/pets-good-for-kids/
http://www.whattoexpect.com/kids-and-pets/benefits-of-pets.aspx
http://www.pedigree.com/all-things-dog/article-library/the-benefits-of-growing-up-with-a-dog.aspx
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-gail-gross/the-benefits-of-children-growing-up-with-pets_b_7013398.html
My wife and I are planning to adopt a dog as our kids have been begging us to get a ‘cute puppy’ since they saw a dog show last month. I like that having a pet could teach our kids responsibility as that would be great when they grow up. I’d like to present this to my wife so she could help decide. Thanks for the great read!
I am thinking of getting a puppy for my daughter to help her learn responsibility, but I did not know that there are so many other good reasons to get her a puppy! You make a great point that having a dog will lower stress levels because they provide relaxation and relief. This will be great for my daughter so that when she comes home from school and is stressed about classes and homework, our dog will help her to relax.
I found it interesting how you mentioned how dogs can help teach children manners and responsibility because dogs need to be taken care of in order to stay healthy. My son is always looking for ways to increase the responsibility of his children little by little until they learn the value and joy that comes with hard work. Because he can take care of the puppy himself and gradually relinquish responsibility to his children, I will keep this in mind as we search for a purebred Shih Tzu puppy that will fit perfectly into his family dynamic!
I found it interesting how you mentioned how dogs can keep children safe because they have an innate sense of danger and alertness. My son recently took more hours at work and he wants to make sure his children feel safe when they are home alone for the fifteen minutes a day that neither parent is home. I will keep this in mind as we search for a Goldendoodle puppy that can help the children feel loved and protected!
My kids have been begging for a dog for a while so I wondered if I should get them one for Christmas this year. I didn’t know that as many as 90% of children have lived with pets at some stage throughout their childhood. I’ve never had pets in my house because we’re so busy all the time but maybe an outside dog that could go on camping trips with us would be a good investment and my kids would be happy; I’ll look around for dogs they’d like and other maintenance tips!
My kids have been pestering about adopting a dog they saw at the dog shelter. I liked how you said that kids will learn more responsibilities as they grow with the canine. With that set, we will get the dog register so they can learn a few skills.
It’s good to know that owning a dog with children can help boost their self-esteem. My son is struggling with his self-esteem at school. I’ll be sure to talk to my wife about getting a dog for our family.