A Pet Can Teach Your Child About the Circle of Life
At each stage of life, a pet provides valuable lessons. For example, adopting a pet from a shelter is an opportunity to talk with your child about homelessness and a forever, loving home. A pet can also offer parents a way to talk with a child about death. For many of us, the loss of a pet is the first of many such losses we will all experience in our lives. A pet can teach your child that it's important to love and just as important to grieve. A pet can also teach children that compassion needs to be extended beyond our own species.
Pets Provide Physical Contact
In our lives, we are not always sure when touch is acceptable and when it's not. But not with our pets: They always love our touch, always welcome it. Anyone of any age can kiss a dog or cat and say "I love you!" and nobody thinks anything of it. We need touch, and "heavy petting" is always fine with our pets.
Pets Are Good for Our Health
Pets are life support systems. Pets don't just make us feel good. They're good for us. Being around pets in early childhood lessens the severity of allergies, asthma and eczema. Pets can blunt chronic pain; fight depression; lower cholesterol; decrease blood pressure; lower the risk of heart disease or stroke; improve survivability of a heart attack; help treat ADHD, anxiety and PTSD; detect seizures; help Parkinson's patients; and even detect cancer. Adding a pet to your growing family is one way to protect your child's health -- and your own.
What Parents Should Know About Pets
pics, advice, info and stories for pet lovers
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