Getting Your Children’s First Pet

When you’re thinking about getting your children’s first pet, this is big news and one might take a journalistic approach.

 

When, Where, What, Why, Who & How: Getting Your Children’s First Pet

When you’re thinking about getting your children’s first pet, this is big news and one might take a journalistic approach.

In other words, basic journalism teaches us the “four w’s and one h” also known as the when, where, what, why, who and how of the story being told.

Who

Who is obvious, it’s your family and for you and your kids.

What

What comes with a multitude of different possibilities from a cuddly kitten to many different types of tiny terriers or larger breed dogs to to choose from.

There’s even tropical fish and exotic animals to consider. Let’s look at the other queries when it comes to this important decision.

When

When may seem like an age-appropriate decision, like whether or not your children are old enough for the responsibility of animal ownership and able to interact with them safely.

This is perhaps best left to individual circumstances, since some children simply develop at a different rates compared to others regardless of their age.

It’s more important to consider “when” as a form of an infinitive verb. In other words, you should consider getting a pet only after you’ve already accomplished certain things first.

To commit to animal ownership, you should always:

  • Do your homework on the type of pet that peaks your interest. For example, certain breeds of canines and felines don’t have much patience when it comes to small children.
  • Make sure you understand all of the different costs involved. Beyond food, treats and toys, there’s many medical expenses, boarding or pet-sitting, licensing fees and possible insurance rates to consider.

You may want to check with your HOA (Homeowner Association), landlord, county or city ordinances and other authority figures.

While they may allow pets, they could come with stipulations about certain sizes or breeds of particular animals.

Only after you’ve considered all these items should you start shopping for a your pet.

When you’re thinking about getting your children’s first pet,

Where and How

Where and How can actually be lumped together in this instance.

Think of it this way, the old school practice of pet shops have practically become a thing of the past.

Given the amount of negative press over the years and many instances of unsavory breeders and conditions known as “puppy mills,” there are much better places to shop for a pet.

Without going into more detail on this unpleasant topic, shelters, rescues and pet adoption clinics are always the best choice when it comes to acquiring a new pet.

Even if you’ve already made up your mind that you want a specific type or breed of a particular animal, don’t think that a breeder is your only option (although still a possibility).

Many rescue organizations cater to certain breeds of dogs and statistics show that the number of purebred canines that wind up in shelters is around 25% of their overall population.

Why

Why is a reason that’s almost infinite.

There are so many positive rewards to animal ownership when it comes to including a pet as a part of your family.

It’s almost a completely different topic altogether. Every parent remembers getting your children’s first pet.

From teaching kids about the circle of life, unconditional love, bonding, patience, responsibility, the list is practically endless.

 

Check out this related reading; The Summer Technology Contract Every Family Needs, Own it; Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Possessions and Dry Drowning – What a Parent Needs to Know.

Did you enjoy this article?
Signup today and receive free updates straight in your inbox. We will never share or sell your email address.
I agree to have my personal information transfered to MailChimp ( more information )

Add Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.