What do you think of parents who let their children play with pets (the more traditional ones... dogs, cats and birds)? I think with due care and limitations, there is no problem at all. Children need to acquire biological immunity in some way during their growth, and this can be provided by animals in a healthy way. Everything just needs to be controlled. If you are raising a pet, it's supposed to be a clean, well-fed animal... Anyway, be a healthy animal, right? So, what would be the problem? P.S: With the exception of the child being allergic.
I know some cats attack when they have had enough petting, so parents should be aware of that and not let their kids play unsupervised. Playing with animals is ok in general, as long as the parents keep an eye on their kids in case something bad might happen.
I think it's great for children to be introduced to pets, with supervision of course. Teaching them also to take care of them gives the child a sense of responsibility. There are many allergy friendly pets such as dogs that don't shed a lot like the Terrier, or the Bichon Frise for example. Cats such as the Sphynx or Balinese are good choices also.
There are toddlers who are fond of animals and that are toddlers who aren't. Some toddlers are worse because they tend to hurt the animals. That's why we don't let children come near our dogs for feaf that they would hit our dogs for no reason. I don't agree to let the toddler be near the animal much more caress for some animals bite. And if that happens then what? It is the responsibility of the parents to assure the safety of their children and letting near an animal is not a good idea.
It's essential for children to be raised with animals and taught to love and respect them. The psychological benefits of interaction with animals are very well documented. I would suggest to new parents that they buy a puppy and let the dog grow up alongside their new arrival. Avoid pit bulls and certain breeds that are know to be nippy. My sons have been raised with Alsations and I would often find them collapsed on the dogs after a play bout with all involved fast asleep.
Our toddler is growing up alongside our cats, and interacts with them well. We supervised them closely at first, and later just kept an eye on them once he had learned to play nicely. We had a cat we knew we could trust though, and because we knew hard play by the child would be 'disciplined' with a hard swat from a paw, not with clawing or biting. When that cat passed away he was very upset (so were we), so we now have another younger cat who is growing up with him. We didn't really want to get a kitten or an animal who couldn't set boundaries and get away if it had to. Mind you, our first cat was a rescue and we were lucky with temperament. We couldn't take the chance on being lucky again, so the new cat came from a registered breeder with a long line of cats known to be even tempered and calm.
I remember a particularly humongous case where a toddler of my aunt's mounted the head of a cow when it law no the ground and held its head as it was a steering wheel. My aunt caught sight of the unfolding scenario and screamed. Children should be kept no a tight leash in case of such dangers but should be taught to respect indoor pets as well as outdoor animals and treat them as friends.
I think it's good for kids to interact with pets. It's a way for them to to play and learning responsibility. Although I do think they should be supervised, especially if they're really young. First you need to see if the pet is ok with them, I know some pets aren't used to kids. And second you have to teach the kids how to interact with them. As long as that's covered, it's perfectly fine.
I wouldn't want my child to get near animals as I have heard and read about some bad situations kids go through because of it. I am against it because of the childs health and safety. My aunt had her baby boy and they had a dog but soon had to get rid of it because it made her baby boy get a bump on his head that was surgecaly removed and the doctor said it was because of the dog. I don't know exactly what infection it was my little causin caught but I have learned from that. One never knows if the animals will attack as well so I would keep my child away from them.
If the child is really fond of animals, I don't think I won't let the kid have a pet that he would want. As long as the kid won't have an allergic reaction to a certain pet that he likes, then I would be good with it. I grew up with a dog as my pet and I really loved that dog. It would help a kid a lot since when I was small and had that pet, I used to talk to it as if he talks back to me. That can help with the child's communication to other people I think.
I always think it's good to let the children take care or play with the animals, as they learn to care for others. Moreover, I think pets can be good friends to the children too. I just guide my children how to handle the animals and remember to wash their hands after touching the animals.
I only allow my nephew to play with our dogs since I know our dog won't attract him. I let him feed our dog and he loved it. He's enjoying playing big brother with our dog and he's teaching him to sit and shakes hand. I just watch them how our dog follow his command which is so adorable.
I think I will not let my kids to play with animals. However I think it depends on how animal is getting care. If they are moving around and not getting proper care then our kids may get infection of anything through them. So better take care of this thing. Small kids get such infection faster so I don't think allowing kids with them is good idea. But still as I said it depends on how animal is getting care.
I think you really need to supervise,when you have animals in the same room with the children-and make sure the dog can escape the room if he wants too. I think children and animals can build a lot of memories together-so they can look back on them. Most dogs can tolerate so much from a child-so let them form a bond together-but make sure you separate them after so much time together. You want them to be happy together and not let the dog get to stressed out or the child get to upset.
Treating an animal like a toy and truly loving it are two different things. I have seen parents just getting a kitten or a puppy for the toddler to play with and once the animal grows the toddler never even goes near it. This tendency should be discouraged and the toddler should be involved right through the life of the pet.
