Making the decision to bring a pet into your family isn’t always easy. There are many things to consider such as the type of pet, cost, housing, etc. You may be hoping to teach your child responsibility. All of those things are important. But adding a pet into your home can provide priceless experiences you may have not considered before.
Teaching Selflessness
When my children were born, one of my goals was to raise them to become good people. Part of being a good person is putting other people’s needs before our own. While some people seem to be born with this skill, others need to be shown the way. Having a family pet is a great way to teach our children that valuable lesson.
A few months ago, our teenage son walked in the door and said, “I brought home a new furry friend.” Ha..surprise! And, of course we heard the whole story… “My friend gave it to me and he can’t keep it and…. ” 
And of course, we have a virtual zoo already, so what’s one more, right?) Despite the amount of animals in our household, our son had yet to develop the understanding of selflessness. I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. So we agreed to let him keep the dwarf hamster (who is adorable, by the way). However, there were some things he needed to learn first…
The first part of teaching selflessness is to understand that children, for the most part, live in their own little world. That being said, we felt it was important to remind our son how dependent his hamster was on him. And, while he does have legs, he cannot walk to the refrigerator if he is hungry. Nor can he help himself to a glass of water when he’s thirsty. So this adorable little furry guy is really hoping our son won’t run out the door in the morning before practicing his selfless techniques- and feeds him 🙂 Now our son understands, his hamster is the first priority of the day. Hopefully he will take this experience and learn and grow with it.
Great Therapy
When our children are small, we are their whole world. In times of trouble, one kiss from Mommy seems to make it all better. But as they get older (much to my dismay), consoling our kids becomes more complicated and maybe even unwanted. It’s during those times when our kids turn to our pets for help. Animals, especially dogs, are known for their loyalty and unconditional love. Kids know that. And when they’re feeling blue, having access to that may make all the difference in the world.
A great example of this can be found in the 2012 National Geographic article called “The Healing Power of Dogs.” Tim Hetzer of Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) K9 Comfort Dogs traveled to Newtown, CT with nine therapy dogs in tow, after the devastating shooting which left 20 children and six adults dead. Some pretty amazing stuff happened that day, including a group of teenagers who, while petting one of the therapy dogs, felt comfortable enough to finally open up and talk about their feelings of that horrific nightmare.
That’s the power animals can have in our lives. For us and our kids.
Try before you buy
Still not sure? Maybe your family would like a “trial run” before you make a lifetime commitment. Depending on where you live, that might be a possibility. Check with your local animal shelter about their foster care program. Being a foster family to an animal waiting for his forever home not only helps your community, but it gives your family a chance to “try one on for size” before you commit. After all, how can you resist this face?
Sharon Sanchez, 44, recently left the financial industry to pursue a Liberal Arts degree with a focus on creative writing. Married for seven years, she and her husband have seven children ranging in age from 14-24. At the present time, her house holds more animals than people; currently, she is owned by two dogs, two cats, three birds and two iguanas. Although she wishes she was a vet…there’s “that whole math and science thing… yeah, no.” An animal rescue supporter and mommy to the best animals on the planet, Sharon resides in Iowa.