Endless Opportunities: Bringing a Pet into the Family

This month marks the end of summer, or at least summer vacation. School will be starting up, the house will be empty, and those social calendars will be filled to the brim. But as the free time fades, we at Deceased Pet Care want to outline a few benefits that owning or adopting a pet in this season could bring to you and your family. We know the schedule is tight, but we believe the benefits of pet ownership far outweigh its cost.

The Time is Right
If you’re at a time when your children are old enough for regular school, then your kids are probably ready for a pet. Though ability and level of responsibility vary with age, if your child is five or older, they can help with a portion of pet care. Younger kids can help with basics like bowl cleaning, notifying you of pet’s needs, or filling the food bowl. Older children can keep up with feeding, exercise schedules, and clean up.

Teaching Responsibility
It’s been said many times that children’s brains are akin to sponges. So starting them with a pet young allows them to learn the importance and requirements of personal responsibility. Yes, depending on your kid’s age, a vast majority of pet care will fall under you, but the opportunities to learn and teach everything from care and consideration, to sacrifice for the benefit of another than oneself are endless.

Play the Part
As a parent, and the primary caretaker of your family’s new addition, make sure you are aware in how you present caring for your new pet. Never say that taking care of Fido is a chore, but rather a blessing, opportunity, or privilege. When your child views helping around the house as a vital part of Fido’s success, rather than busy work, they are more likely to help with consistency and consideration. Your children will also always be on the lookout as to how you take care of the pet, so set the standard high, and help your kids reach the bar you’ve set.

Educate and Encourage
Taking on the responsibility of a new pet is a great way to encourage your child in their ability, effort, and heart. Take each opportunity to encourage their good behavior and reinforce the positives. Never threaten to take away the pet if responsibilities are not being met. This insinuates the pet is disposable. Have them think like a pet to teach important needs such as hunger, thirst, cleanliness, and physical activity.

Family Time
We are all looking for a few extra moments to share with our children. By having your kids take part in the responsibility of caring for a pet, we can increase one on one time with our kids. Morning and evening walks, or afternoon games are a great time to spend together with each other and the family’s new addition.

End the Anxiety
Chances are, as your child starts school, anxiety can creep in. Social stress, school work, after school activities, and deadlines can quickly add up to new feelings and worry for your kid. Having a pet around the house to pet, play with, and sometimes just snuggle is a scientifically proven way to increase happiness at reduce stress after a hard day.

Pet’s are awesome. We could come up with a hundred more reasons why you should bring a pet into your family, but we think the above is a great start. At Deceased Pet Care, our love for pet runs deep. We want as many people to experience the joy and happiness that a pet can bring. So after you crunch some numbers, making sure you have the resources to properly care for your pet, we think Fido is an investment with unlimited returns.

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