Parenting Tips To Teach Children To Care For Pets

Having a pet at home is a wonderful experience be it a dog, a cat, a rabbit or a chick. Bonding with a pet can teach children about togetherness, love, attachment, compassion, empathy, responsibility, and sensitivity. But it takes effort on the part of parents to teach children to be kind to animals and how to care for them.

Occasionally there are some parents who don't feel the need to educate children about caring for animals, however, this is a mistake. Children who are cruel towards animals often turn to violence, aggression and animal cruelty. On the other hand, when you teach a child to be sensitive to animals, it benefits the child and society as a whole. After all, when we care about others and animals, then we make this world a better place to live in.    

As parents, you need to make your children know that just like human beings, even animals have feelings. Here are a few tips for parents that will help you develop sensitivity in children toward animals.

Assign some chores to children

Give your child some duties regarding the pet. For instance, you can ask your child to feed the pet. This will instill a feeling of responsibility in your child. But make sure you assign those duties that your child can do easily. If you tell a 5 or 6 year child to clean the floor after the pet has made it dirty, you can't expect him to do such a wonderful job. You need to give children the tasks which they can handle on their own.                              

Involve your child in different activities

One of the best ways to teach your children to be gentle toward animals is to be loving toward your pet yourself. When your child will sees how you lovingly take care of the pet, she will eventually do the same. Involve your children in activities such as giving a bath to your dog, playing with your pet or take your child along when you take your pet out for a walk.

Encourage bonding between the child and pet

Encourage your children to play with the pet. Teach them how to carefully hold the small animals in their arms. In short, encourage children to bond with the animals.

Encourage empathy toward all animals

Caring for animals should not be restricted only to the pets at home. Compassion should be extended to other animals as well. When raising children with compassion and caring, take your children to the Zoo, aquariums or a natural park or even the local animal shelter and encourage kids to donate pet foods there.

Most importantly, regularly talk to your child about the importance of being sensitive toward animals. And read them good books in which you find interesting animal characters, take children to watch good, non-violent animal-based movies or show them motivational videos which, with the help of beautiful pictures and inspirational quotes, tell children how important it is to care for animals. Good parenting advice on raising children with empathy and kindness always guides parents on helping their kids learn the values of compassion and charity. When you join your child in developing a bond with animals and pets, you also create a beautiful and strong parent child relationship.