By Emily Parker, Catological.com
No question about it – pets are great for children!
While anybody who owns a pet knows how much fun they bring to their lives, science has discovered our pets do much more than that when it comes to our children. Rather than worrying about an occasional bite or scratch that may come with owning a pet, parents today are instead finding out having four-legged family members offers more benefits than they ever imagined for their kids.
Healthier Children
If you worry about your kids being sick more often due to having a dog or cat around, it's actually the opposite. Recent studies have indicated that kids who have pets in the home have 44 percent fewer ear infections and 31 percent fewer respiratory infections, indicating their pets have a positive effect on their developing immune systems.
Self Confidence develops relationships
And along with this, having pets will make your kids more self-confident and lead to them developing more friendships. According to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, kids who have animals in the home to play with have been shown to have more self-esteem and confidence than kids without pets.
Making Friends is easier
And when it comes to making friends, pets make it easier than ever for our kids. All it takes is your child taking the dog for a walk or playing with their kitty in the yard, and before you know it they've got plenty of other children and even adults striking up conversations that lead to beautiful friendships.
If these tidbits sound interesting to you READ ON, because the good news is there are many more reasons why you should get a pet for your child. Learn more about each point when you check out the infographic on Catological.com.
Pets teach children to be responsible
Pets make children smarter
Children love reading to their teddy bears and even more to a willing pet, which improves their reading skills
Once a child learns to associate with an animal, they learn to empathise
Pets help chilren stay healthy by keeping them active
Pets encourage children to do chores around the house, which can develop their ability to think and become entrepreneurs
Thank you to Emily Parker from CatOlogical.com for sharing with us her insights on the benefits of having a pet around children at home.
