Bringing a pet into the household is a big step for any family. You can welcome a fun and furry new family member who will fill the house with joy.
Your kids will be the most excited but this could also cause some problems. They might be too excited to know how to properly care for their new pet, so it’s up to you to teach them proper pet care.
Table of Contents
Let Them Take Part in Training
Your kids will never learn how to look after their pet or understand its schedule if you don’t let them take part in the daily routines, especially early on.
This is your chance to teach your kids what your pet needs and how to care for them properly. You can include feeding them, filling up their water and cleaning up after them when they make a mess in the house while being house-trained.
Highlight Responsible Treat Giving
Your kids will want to give your pet as many treats as possible, and they may also fall for those puppy dog eyes too many times.
While you shouldn’t deny your pet treats, you also need to know how to limit too many dog treats to keep them healthy. Doing this also means your dog (or cat) will not resort to begging because they know someone will give with them eventually.
Teach Them about Body Language
Pets are just like people. They have various moods and emotions. However, they can’t voice these feelings to you and your family. Instead, they use body language to highlight how they are feeling.
Many new pets are energetic, so they love to play all the time. But they might also have moments when they aren’t interested in playing. You need to recognize signs like a lowered tail and remind your kids that they may not want to play right now.
If your kids aren’t careful, your pet might snap or swipe at them.
Encourage Chill Time
Similarly, pets also need their chill time, so be clear that their bed is their space. If your pet has gone to their crate or pillow to sleep, advise your kids to leave them alone until they are ready to get up and play.
This can save any frustrations and stop your pet from getting stressed, especially in such a new environment.
Remind Them the Pet is Not a Toy
Some kids can be a little too rough with new pets. This isn’t to say yours will be, but you should still remind them that pets aren’t toys, so they must be careful with them.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve bought one of the most adorable Goldendoodle puppies or adopted a shelter cat. Your kids need to give your pets time to adapt to their new household, so encourage them to treat them gently and not expect too much from them too soon.
Perfect Pet Care
No one knows how to look after a pet if they have never had one before. For many, it’s a constant learning curve that often requires you to experience something before you know what to do.
The same goes for your kids.
These tips can help you share vital information about taking good care of your pet so they can build a beautiful lasting bond.
Images from UnSplash