Discussion on Whether Young Children Should Have Pets

At one point or another during childhood, children have wanted a pets, whether it was a puppy, bunny, lizard, etc. After numerous attempts at pleading and pestering parents to allow the child to get this “pet”, some give in. However, these situations could end in two ways. One being that the child actually learns to love and care for the pet and the other is that the child completely forgets about the pet and the parents end up either taking care of him/her or surrendering him/her. So the real question to consider is should young children be allowed to have pets?

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, pets serve as an important part in a child’s life. Through the experience of caring for a pet, a child can learn how to be patient, caring and kind; these are important characteristics for any child to learn. However, these life learning experiences can only be obtained if the pet is cared for properly and not neglected by the child. The type of pet that should be brought into the household depends on the child’s age. Aggressive animals and reptiles are not best for smaller children, however regardless of their age, children should always be watched with their pets and taught how to properly care for their pets.

There are several advantages that come with allowing a child to take care of a pet. Children who are raised with pets are more likely to be more confident, responsible, respectful and caring. In addition children can confide in their pets, as well as learn valuable life lessons such as the importance of the lives of others, how to cope with the loss of a loved one, loyalty and affection.

So why are some people against children taking care of pets? Well it is hard to get a child to be committed to taking care of his/her pet. In addition, some children may abuse and torture animals without the parent knowing. Some children could use their pets to release negative emotions. In these cases it is best to help the child chanel out those negative emotion another way and constantly monitor their activities with the pet. I believe children should definitely have pets, there are many valuable lessons that can’t be experienced in any other situation. However, precautions should be taken into account and the parents should understand that they need to take good care of the pet in order to their children how to properly love and care for pets.

Works Cited

1. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (2015). Children and pets. Retrieved from https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Pets-And-Children-075.aspx
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