5 Benefits Of Having Pets When You Have Kids
Having pets when you have children is wonderful and full of advantages. A pet, whatever it is, brings a lot of joy to its guardians. But the perks of having a pet at home when you have kids go beyond pure fun.
Pets can increase children’s self-esteem, reduce stress for the entire family, and help us teach children important lessons about love, responsibility, loyalty, and more. Next, we’ll take a closer look at these benefits and advantages of having pets at home.
Having a pet teaches children values
With a pet at home, even a child can learn responsibility. While it is the parents who must take on the most important part of the animal’s needs, children can also take on some responsibilities with easy tasks.
In addition, the little ones will have a great example of the importance of being kind and gentle, as well as what it means to create and educate a more helpless being. This will allow them to appreciate and better understand what their parents and educators do for them, in addition to learning the importance of obeying. They will also develop skills related to empathy and compassion.
Pets help to increase self-esteem
Several surveys show that children who live with pets at home have greater self-esteem. According to research, for children, pets are companions they can talk and play with, which benefits their self-esteem.
In addition, when the little ones have high self-esteem, they also show an improvement in self – confidence, feeling more secure, happy and sociable. All of this allows them to be more active and motivated to move, exercise and play with their pet.
Pets help develop social skills
Children who have pets also show greater impulse control and improve their social skills with other children. Children who grow up with pets have been shown to demonstrate better social skills and become more socially competent adults than children who have never had a pet.
Furthermore, according to a recent survey conducted in France, autistic children who have had a pet since the age of five have shown progress in their ability to share and comfort others.
Pets at home encourage learning
Children usually tell the dolls the things they are learning and sometimes even take on the role of teachers to teach them as if they were their students. When there are pets in the house, this same game is much more interesting. Children often play at telling their pets what they have learned and even trying to teach them things.
Thanks to the feedback that pets provide, children can play much more with them than with their dolls. Most children love to read to their pets or show them pictures in books, which stimulates their own curiosity.
Having a pet is a health benefit for the whole family
Having a pet helps to strengthen the immune system. Experts say that children who grow up with pets are less likely to develop common allergies due to early exposure to certain bacteria. Some research shows that people with pets at home tend to get sick less often.
On the other hand, the act of petting, cleaning and pampering the animal helps to reduce stress for the whole family. Also, dogs tend to follow human communicative cues, which can aid emotional development. In addition, having a pet helps in times of sadness, as its presence offers company, a silent companion to feel supported.
