For some people, imagining having a pet just made a cold sweat first. In addition to taking care of all the daily needs of every human inhabitants of the house, plus must also feed and clean the animal cage.
But it turns out the existence of pets in the middle of your family has a myriad of benefits for child growth. If you are still reluctant to take risks, the facts below may be able to convince you.
What, anyway, the benefits of having a pet at home?
1. Helping children learn
A number of child educators have long known that owning pet dogs can greatly assist the development of learning from children with special needs. Now they discover that all children can benefit from the presence of a furry and four-legged friend. In one study, children were asked to read aloud in front of peers, adults, and dogs. Researchers monitor their stress levels, and find that children will be most relaxed around animals, not humans.
2. Maintain child health
According to a study by Dennis Ownby, MD, a pediatrician and head of the department of allergy and immunology at the Medical College of Georgia, having pets really reduces the risk of children exposed to certain allergies. His research tracked 474 babies from birth to about age seven. He found that children who were always around two or more dogs or cats during their infancy were less likely to develop general allergies due to early exposure to certain bacteria.
Children who have pets at home also rarely show positive skin test results against indoor allergens such as animal hair and dust mites - as well as for outdoor allergens such as pollen and plant sap.
No one knows for sure why this happened, but Dr. Ownby theorized that when children play with dogs or cats, animals usually lick it, as a sign of love. According to him, licking will transfer the bacteria that live in the animal's mouth, and exposure to the bacteria can change the way the child's immune system responds to other allergens.
And some studies show that pet owners tend to rarely get sick. A 2012 study reported that children who live in homes with domestic dogs generally perform well during the first year of life, with a lower frequency of respiratory problems (eg asthma) and ear infections than children who do not have pets.
Another benefit of keeping animals at home? Bathing, playing, or caressing a hairy creature can lower stress levels - and this applies not only to moms and dads, but also to children.
3. Teach children a sense of responsibility, compassion, and caring
Even the youngest toddler can learn a little about the responsibility of having a pet at home. Of course, you will do most of the Sweet treat's tasks, but your child will absorb a lot of knowledge from the behavior you exemplify indirectly, such as the importance of being a good and gentle person. He can even stretch out his small hand to help you with an easier job, such as pouring food into a dish.
By being directly involved in taking care of the pet, the child will realize that pets, like humans - need food, shelter, exercise, and love. This then teaches him valuable lessons about empathy and compassion.
What's more, "Keeping pets is especially important for boys because taking care of animals is not seen as a 'feminine' job of things like cooking, playing houses or playing with dolls," says Gail F. Melson, PhD. , professor of child development studies at Purdue University, quoted by Parents. When pet care is concerned, the involvement of both sexes is reported to be the same.
It's because empathy and compassion are not qualities that suddenly appear in adulthood when we need them. And you do not learn to be caring just because you are treated as a child. We need the means to hone this trait since it was young.
4. Provide comfort and encourage confidence of children
There is research that shows that children who have pets at home have a higher confidence. Probably because they have four-legged (or two-legged) creatures to be loved and who love them back as they are, as well as a vent friend who never judges as well as playmates with when no one else is around.
Then, when your child starts school, pets give children an interesting topic to talk about and share the same interests as children
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