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It should come as little surprise that children love pets – and pets love them too! Not only do pets entertain, but they also teach kids about compassion, trust, responsibility, and loyalty. Studies exploring the health benefits of pet and human interaction found that pet ownership can benefit kids in a wide range of ways.
Pets can reduce stress, improve heart health, and help children develop social and emotional skills, and that’s just the beginning.
If your home is ready for a new family member, look for a pet that suits your family’s lifestyle and living environment. Dogs and cats are popular for households with children as kids can play with them while learning valuable life lessons.
Here are a few ways your child can benefit from having a pet.
Improves Mental Health
Kids can have a range of stressors, such as academic challenges, juggling between school and extracurriculars, friendship struggles, and peer pressure. Coming home from school to a pet can relieve your child’s stress, and they will receive love and compassion that can positively influence their mental state.
Having a pet around can significantly reduce anxiety levels for kids who struggle with anxiety. In addition, pets also have the power to alleviate loneliness among children, especially if they are the only child in the family or have trouble making friends at school.
Pets often become confidantes for children who feel like they have no one else to talk to. Although pets cannot respond, children may find it comforting to share their feelings or secrets with a pet.
Teaches Responsibility
Pets require daily care, which creates a structure and routine for caretakers. Setting a schedule for your pet’s meal times, bathroom breaks, and exercise can encourage your children to take responsibility and hold them accountable to a schedule.
Feeding pets is a great responsibility for kids as it illustrates the importance of a healthy and consistent diet. When you teach your kids about the importance of a balanced diet and explain how it’s helping your dog, your kids may apply the lessons to their own lives.
Feeding your cat or dog raw food from Bold By Nature can improve digestion and satisfy nutritional requirements. Teaching your child the importance of scheduling meal times and proportion can also help them understand the value of balance.
For instance, it’s necessary to determine how much raw food to feed your dog based on its body weight, life stage, and energy levels. When your kids observe the need to be consistent with proportion, they may start focusing on eating healthy meals themselves.
Encourages Exercise
Most pets need to be physically active to maintain their physical and mental health. Regular physical activity can help children and adolescents improve cardiorespiratory fitness, reduce the risk of developing health conditions, and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Your kids may also be urged to run around and play with your cat or dog.
This can encourage your children to subconsciously start exercising and stay physically active, which is also great for their physical and mental health.
Pet ownership offers numerous benefits, allowing your child and their furry friend to live a healthy and fulfilling life. But before you adopt a pet, determine what type of pet will be best suited for your company based on your time limitations and living environment.
