The way our children learn plays a vital part in their development throughout their life. Whether they attend school or you teach them at home, there are particular methods that you must apply throughout their life to ensure they learn everything they need to function well in today’s society.
Grades aren’t the most important part of life, but it is important to help children to develop a love of learning. Additionally, understanding how to look after yourself and be responsible from a young age will play a vital part in your child’s productivity levels as an adult.
A highly effective way to improve your child’s learning, both academically and non-academically, is through a family pet. 1 This is an extremely big commitment that you must prepare yourself for and research thoroughly beforehand, but it is something that can work wonders with your child’s
learning, teaching them responsibility as well as confidence. The benefits of a family pet can reflect in both children who learn at home and in the classroom. Today, we will be helping you to understand more about how a pet can improve your child’s learning.
Gives Them Comfort
Today, our lives as parents are pretty hectic and full of tasks that we must carry out daily in order to be successful and provide what we need for our families. Due to our busy lifestyles, our kids can sometimes feel like they don’t spend enough time with us. Having a pet is a highly effective way to
comfort your child because they will always be around. This is particularly true for children that have no siblings, split and blended families, adopted children and children that struggle to make friends.
Boosts Their Confidence
Having a pet, no matter how big or small, is a great way to develop your child’s confidence. As your child learns to care for them and can see how their actions benefit the lives of the animal, it will make them feel good about themselves and will give them a sense of achievement. If your child has a learning disability, finds it hard to make friends, or is shy around people, then having a pet to comfort them and listen to them will give them a massive confidence boost. A dog is also the perfect ice-breaker on family walks, which will improve your child’s confidence when it comes to speaking to unfamiliar people. Just make sure they are supervised and understand safe ways to talk to strangers.
Teaches Them Responsibility
Preparing your children before bringing home a new pet is just as important as teaching them how to care for them. Doing your research into the needs and requirements of the animal, as well as places to purchase them will teach your children how important the preparation is and what to expect when it comes to caring for the animal. Once you bring your new pet home, you can set them tasks to ensure they do their part when it comes to looking after the animal.
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/animals-and-us/201707/why-kids-pets-are-better
- https://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2012/07/survey-children-raised-with-pets-are-more-confident-caring/
- https://www.verywellfamily.com/service-animals-for-children-with-special-needs-4140722
A pet is a great way to teach children responsibility, however, they are only children, and this animal would have been purchased by you, so you need to make sure you take charge when it comes to their care.
Betters Their Learning
Having a pet is a brilliant way to improve your child’s learning and give you more time to do the things you need to do. If they have a reading task, you can get your child to read out loud to their pet. This could improve their public speaking and confidence when it comes to reading, as a pet is happy to just sit with them and listen. This will allow you to do other tasks, while listening out for help if your child needs it. The presence of a pet will make them feel less alone and judged, although it is important that you don’t leave young children alone with a pet. The comfort and support an animal can provide really will reflect in your child’s learning.
Makes Them Healthier
One of the best parts about having a pet in the home, especially a dog, is the health benefits that they can pass on to the entire family. Speaking, petting and interacting with animals has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety and improve our overall mental health. A dog plays a massive part in improving our physical health, as they require daily exercise and are very playful and active as a species. Pets have also been proven to boost our immune systems. Some of us worry about the allergies a pet can trigger, however, having a pet in the home when your child is between zero and
four has been proven to reduce the risk of certain health conditions, like eczema and asthma.
Prepares Their Minds
Explaining death to your children is a difficult process that is difficult to approach, but it is something you may wish them to understand. The way a parent deals with the loss of an animal can affect the way children deal with death in general, as it will teach them about the coping mechanisms they can use and how to interact with someone who is grieving. Expressing your own grief verbally could help your child cope. Sickness and injury are also something you may experience when having a pet, which is why you should consider getting pet insurance to support you financially during these times. You can look at the different levels of pet cover at Everypaw, a pet insurance provider. In many cases, having the right insurance for your pet can be the difference between life and death.
Owning a pet alongside family and work commitments can be difficult, and even though they do a great job of teaching your child responsibility, you are the adult of the house and will be fully responsible for the animal you decide to introduce into your home. Before you make your choice, make sure you heavily research and prepare yourself before introducing your new pet. When done correctly, your child and your home will reap the benefits of your new family member.
4. https://www.menshealth.com/uk/health/a754539/how-dogs-boost-your-immune-system/
5. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319861
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