6 Important Life Lessons Children Learn from Their Pets

Today is National Pet Day, and I’m so happy to celebrate with our sweet cat, Rosie!

rosie-cat-1 — Our Rosie Scampers Fluffington

We adopted Rosie a little over 6 years ago after my student met her at a shelter and insisted that I needed to take her in. When we met her the next day and she snuggled and purred immediately, we knew he was right! Tom paid her adoption fee as part of my Christmas gift, and she will always be the best gift he ever gave me.

Rosie’s full name is Rosie Scampers Fluffington. She is the most loving cat you could ever imagine. If I’m upset, she actually runs to me (something cats normally don’t do). If I have a stomachache, she know exactly where it hurts and takes a purr-filled nap on that spot.

Rosie knew I was pregnant before I did. A week before I took the test, she started sleeping on my stomach every night. She took every nap she could against my belly, purring and gently patting it with her paw even despite Rae’s feisty kicks.

cat-and-baby-bump-1 — Rosie hugging Rae when I was 4 months pregnant

cat-and-baby-bump-2 — Rosie hugging Rae when I was 4 months pregnant

When Rae arrived, Rosie loved her immediately. She snuggled up to her in my lap and rubbed on her head. When Rae cried in the middle of the night and I went to check on her, Rosie headed right to the room with me.

Rae learned to roll over by watching Rosie. She learned to crawl and walk early because she wanted to keep up with her furry best friend. Now that she’s a little older, Rae brushes Rosie, feeds her treats, and follows her everywhere. Their bond melts my heart every single day.

Cat-and-Toddler — Look at the love in Rosie’s eyes when she sees Rae!

Not everyone grows up with pets, and that’s perfectly fine! There are allergies, fears, and lifestyle choices that make pet ownership impossible for many. I have absolutely no judgement against anyone who feels a pet is not the right choice for them.

But for those who already have a pet or who are considering adding a furry bundle of love to your family, here are 6 lessons children learn from their pets:

1. Pets teach responsibility

Pet ownership is an immense responsibility. You are responsible for your pet’s food, water, medical care, home environment, grooming, exercise, and basically every other part of their day.

Young children inherently love their pets. It’s not a relationship that needs to be worked on, it just happens naturally. So as they get a little older, they’re going to want to help take care of your pet as much as they can.

Let them! Give them small jobs they can do to help out, or let them pick their own. Right now, Rae has decided her job is to brush Rosie with her large toy fork and to feed Rosie her treats.

For toddlers like Rae, perfect jobs include feeding your pet, making sure they have fresh water, picking out toys, or going for walks with them (never holding the leash by themselves, of course!). As your child gets older, gradually add in more responsibility. Let them pick out your pet’s food at the store, refill their water bowl, play with them, and brush them.

Your child will learn what it feels responsible for their beloved pet’s health and happiness. The positive reinforcement your child gets from caring for your pet will be generalized to other areas of their life, resulting in a child more willing to take on responsibilities and pick up on others’ needs.

2. Pets teach compassion

This one works two ways. First, pets teach children to be compassionate toward others. They learn early to be kind and gentle with their furry friend. They love their pets, they see them as part of their family. And they want their pets to be happy.

And pets have unending patience for our little nuggets. They seem to somehow understand that our children are young and don’t understand the implications of their actions. They have so much tolerance that it’s heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.

They want our children to be happy, so our pets will play with them, cheer them up, and do whatever they can to bring them joy. And they hate to see our little ones upset.

I remember when we first got Rosie, a child was having a tantrum in our apartment. I expected her to run away, but instead she ran toward him. She even took a kick to the side to get close enough to comfort him.

That level of compassion is so common in animals. We see it in pets who know not to jump on toddlers, but instead gently nuzzle their heads. We see it in pets who sleep on the foot of a child’s bed when they’re afraid to be alone in the dark. We see it in nearly every interaction they have with our children.

Children with pets see compassion every day. And while they may not understand what it is, they will recognize and revel in the warmth.

rosie-cat-and-baby — Looking out the window

cat-and-baby-holding-hands — Looking out the window

3. Pets teach boundaries

At this point in Rae’s life, I’m stern with her about exactly 2 things: safety and the way she treats Rosie. Even though she’s young, she needs to learn to pat Rosie gently and to avoid the areas Rosie prefers to have left alone.

Setting strict boundaries between your child and your pet as early as possible is essential. This protects your pet from unintentionally aggressive physical contact and potential injury, as well as discomfort. It also protects your child from injury.

Animals don’t have a filter. When they feel threatened or uncomfortable, they react. Some will be more tolerant because they understand your child is young and doesn’t know any better, but is it really fair to put them in that position?

And worse, if your pet does react and your child is bit or scratched, they will both be heartbroken and the relationship will take time to repair.

By teaching boundaries young and consistently enforcing them, your child and pet will have a stronger relationship. Your child will learn to respect others, a lesson they will carry throughout their life.

4. Pets teach unexpected skills

This one is especially true for only and first-born children. Babies love their pets, and they will do anything they can to get close to them. That means that they are excellent motivation for your child.

Your pets roll, crawl, talk (in their own way), play, roll balls, beg for treats, climb, run, scamper, and do a million other things that your child will watch, enthralled. And then they’ll try to do the same.

And there’s even more to it -your child will pick up on mannerisms and routines that you have with your pet. Rae knows to snap her fingers to call Rosie, to pat surfaces she wants Rosie to jump up on, or to shake the treat bag when she wants Rosie to come running.

You will never explicitly teach your child these nonverbal communication skills, but they will learn them anyway. They’re motivated to connect with your pet, and that motivation will make them eager to learn.

5. Pets teach unconditional love

This lesson is essential for children of all ages. Your pet will love you no matter what. If your child is throwing a temper tantrum, having a horrible day, or in a fight with their best human friend, their pet will be there ready to rub on them or play with them.

A pet’s love knows no limits. And for children experiencing grief, depression, anxiety, or any other challenging situations, knowing they are coming home to a warm, loving friend can make even the most challenging day better.

Pets give limitless love, and they ask for nothing in return. They’re just so happy to be around your child, they don’t care about anything else. And there is nothing like wrapping your arms around a dog or snuggling up with a cat.

Children need to experience this. They need to know that they are loved and valued. They need to see the joy on their pet’s face when they come home from school every day. They need to know that when they need to cry their hearts out, they can do it into their pet’s soft fur.

toddler-and-rosie-cat — Playing together

rosie-cat-snuggling-with-sleeping-baby — Playing together

6. Pets teach confidence

Have you ever seen the library programs that encourage children to read to therapy dogs? Or the animal shelters that invite kids to read to their adoptable pets?

There’s a reason these programs are so successful. Children know dogs will never judge their reading skills, so they feel comfortable making mistakes and taking academic risks with their supportive furry friend.

County Veterinary Clinic published an article on the benefits of reading to dogs that I would highly recommend if you’d like more information. But in a nutshell, being around an animal’s calming influence reduces a child’s anxiety surrounding a stressful task.

And it’s not just dogs. You can read to any animal in your house. Cats will curl right up in your lap to listen to stories, and fish work well because they are contained and won’t leave mid-reading session.

Your pet (or one in a shelter if you and your child volunteer) can be an audience for other activities your child is nervous about. Dogs are excellent cheerleaders for trying new sports, and cats will curl up in your lap while you paint, draw, do your math homework, or any other sedentary activity.

Knowing your pet will never judge them will make your child feel comfortable trying many new things. And as they learn new skills, they’ll be so excited to show off their progress to their furry bestie!