In today’s era where nuclear families are on the rise, we are stuck in an extended pandemic. The traditional family structure of joint families is replaced by smaller families, limited or no siblings. There are certain risks of children being less accommodating & adjusting, self – centered, and resistant to social skills or sharing. Cohabitating with cousins, siblings, and other family members allow children to naturally imbibe sensitivity and adjustment in their growing years. A creative way to organically develop into well-rounded adults, it’s a creative way to have PETS!

A Step Closer to Kind Toddlers

Our pets can literally sense our feelings. As a result of the degraded environment and pollutants, children are targets of multiple health issues including digestive and respiratory troubles. Having pets at home counteracts the constant hits that the babies’ immunity systems are taking since their birth. Kids who grow up with pets have a much more resilient immune system, are more prepared to fight the external war against their bodies.

Imagine if you could hear your dog could talk, it would say:

“I know I’m just a dog,
But… If you feel sad, I’ll be your smile.
If you cry, I’ll be your comfort.
And if someone breaks your heart,
We can use mine to live.
I’ll always be by your side.”

Your pets can be the world’s best anti-depressant and stress buster. For what its worth, having a pet helps your child in uncountable ways:

• Understanding healthy ownership and the ability to recognize one’s needs in response to others as well.
• The growing sense of responsibility by taking care of their biological needs like walking the pet, feeding the pet, cleaning & shaving the pet being some of them.
• Using pet chores such as your child babysitting your pet, feed them, play with them, clear up their toys, can do wonders in building animal empathy.
• Pets constantly teach us things through the language of emotions, as they express their love freely, in an unguarded way. The primal expressions of emotions from pets encourage children to acknowledge their own.

Friends Fur-Ever

Parents play an important role in shaping the vision and behavior of our child towards other living beings around us, especially animals. We are responsible for catering to the sensitivity and mindfulness in our children towards displaying respect and care for animal lives. Any unwanted conduct by children knowingly or unknowingly towards animals or other living creatures must definitely be pointed out and the appropriate ways to behave with animals. Some ways in which this beautiful human-animal relationship can be nurtured are:

• Welfare Project: Participate in a welfare project as a family together. For instance, being a part of an animal NGO and volunteering to care for injured animals every weekend. This would be an amazing way of making children aware of and respect animals around them and be a part of helping them coexist peacefully and happily because they deserve it as much as we do. Once you decide to get a pet, take them along to adopt a pet, rather than purchasing one. Nurture the lives that exist in the world.
• Modeling: Set an example in your daily behavior for your children to be inspired as well. Be the sensitive, aware, caring, compassionate and loving human being you want your child to grow into. Start with baby steps with something as simple as hanging a bird feeder in your backyard, puting a bowl of water outside your doorstep for hungry strays, etc. Believe me, your children will watch and learn so much. These act as sowing the seeds for nurturing a beautiful human-animal relationship. Good deeds have a good effect on the body & the brain.
• Have meaningful discussions with your child about similarities between us humans and animals. How we all have a heart that beats, that craves love, kindness and empathy. How we both can care for each other, protect the other and help each other grow, how we can thrive and coexist peacefully and nurture this beautiful relationship we share with them.
• Share examples of incidents where animals have literally saved human lives. Show them movies and documentaries of the same, make it a fun weekend thing to indulge in this. The results of the same will be amazing on the development of your child. It is all about the value of non-verbal cues and emotional balance. Engage in storytelling that relates to animals’ lives, habitats, and characteristics.
• Pets keep humans active. Children can absorb the excitement and energy of the environment, and get more active and healthy running around with pets.

A Bark In The Park

A fun way to actually go about this and do it for real, rather than just planning is:

• Take a walk in the park with your pet. Make feeding animals & birds a habit at home as well. Involve your children to make a bird feeder at home for when the birds chirp in the sun.
• Make a list of places to visit with your child for some fun, healthy animal interactions in Ahmedabad. Some recommendations are:
  – Sugar rush outdoors
  – Sundarvan Park
  – Kankaria Zoo
  – Jivdaya Charitable Trust
  – Dog Lovers Club
  Visiting these places with your kids on a weekend could be the perfect stepping stone towards building an empathetic community of young individuals together.
• Discuss ways at home on how to help animals, we can take several actions to help animals by volunteering with animal shelters and participating in animal welfare projects as well.
• Animal rescue projects are on the rise, it’s fine even if on a small scale. Every litle action counts. You could be an animal rescue leader.

A message from animals to humans:

Hello, Human friends,
“Live & Let Live. We speak the language of love. Respect us, value us and show some love, that’s all we want. You have no idea how much we will give you back in abundance. Every step you stumble at, we will wag our tails and run towards you, be there by your side, to support you, through thick and thin, because Human, we LOVE YOU unconditionally! We are your buddy, your protector, partner, and defender, faithful and true to the last beat.”
– Woof Woof