10 Benefits of Pets for Child Development From a Mom

Have you heard about the benefits of pets for child development? If you haven’t, it’s something that you should consider, especially if you have an only child.

I can only speak regarding dogs, but this will be similar regardless of the type of pet you get for your child. 

People love their pets. I am people. I love my dog, Cooper. He is the best thing that has ever happened to our family.

Growing up, I had a family dog, which provided great emotional support on days when school and kids could be cruel.

If you follow me on Instagram, you will see that I post him occasionally and talk about how he is the best big brother to my son, Noah. 

The benefits of having a pet have always been tenfold for my family.

Having four-legged family members in a family where, at this time, my child is an only child has given my child greater self-esteem and made him very empathic about the needs of others.

There’s a lot to love about having a pet, but there’s more to appreciate about your little friend than you realize.

Pets can be great companions, but they do so much more for you than keep you company.

Everyone in your household can benefit from the presence of a pet.

I listed the best shows for toddler speech development in this post if you are looking for more ways to help your child’s development.

These are the best programs; my son still watches all these shows.

These shows are something the whole family can watch together since a lot of the shows are classics like Sesame Street.

Here are some of the benefits of pets for child development.

Pets are great for kids. 

Kids adore pets. Having a pet can help children be more social, develop robust immune systems, and learn responsibility.

With the right pet, your child always has someone to play with. Also, suppose pets and children grow up together.

In that case, they can help with social skills that will help with cognitive development and positively impact children who might be shy or have trouble with social interaction. 

As a person who grew up with a dog myself, from an early age, I loved having a furry friend that I could talk to when I needed it.

I see the same thing happening with my son now. He’s an only child, and having a dog has allowed him to have the social support he doesn’t get with me, my husband, or the adult family members. 

Children will have something to care for and build a special kind of companionship with your pet.

Life is more meaningful to many folks if they have someone or something that relies on them.

Cardiac patients with pets are four times more likely to survive for at least a year than those without pets. A pet can give your life a purpose.

Some children’s first best friends are their pets.

The impact of pets will have an overall positive experience on your children, which is one of the many reasons that looking at the benefits of pets for child development is unmatched.

Older children love having pets because play time can now include playing with their pets, which helps with motor skills, which is another essential skill set for your children. 

A pet can help to keep you and your home safe.

While a potential burglar might not be concerned with your cat or parakeet, most would-be intruders prefer to avoid homes with dogs.

Even a small dog can make quite a lot of noise when something is wrong.

Since pets will feel like part of the family, they will also give your kids this sense of protection, which your child will pick up on.

When children notice the care of others, it translates into what they want to do for the family.

For example, my son knows it’s for something specific when the dog barks.

Based on the type of bark will determine if it’s something my son needs to worry about or if it’s something that can be ignored. 

You and your children will always have a walking partner.

It can be more enjoyable to walk with a companion. Dogs are always excited to go for a walk, too.

There are even a few cats that like to take a stroll. Studies show that dog owners walk almost 25 minutes longer each day than non-dog owners.

Having a pet can improve your fitness. Dog walking as a family also creates stronger family bonds.

Your child will have positive feelings about another living creature from a very young age, which will become essential life skills as they get into adolescent development. 

Walking is also another great way of getting some much-needed physical activity in for your child.

Physical development is so vital in young children that in the first few years of your child’s life, your pediatrician will ask about the family environment and how active your child is. 

For example, having your child walk a dog will require a great harness. This is the harness that we use for our dog.

Of course, I always ensure I walk with my son for safety. Still, my son loves the sense of responsibility of saying he helped during the walk. 

Blood pressure will be lower.

Having a pet that you find soothing has been shown to lower blood pressure. This can decrease the likelihood of heart disease, stroke, and heart attack.

Also, having high cortisol levels as a child is unsuitable for development. It can lead to childhood obesity, which is not suitable for any child.

With having a pet, walking is one of the easiest physical health benefits your child can benefit from, especially if you have active kids who love to be outdoors or running and jumping around. 

Less stress. 

Spending time with a pet can increase the body’s oxytocin and other feel-good hormones.

It feels soothing to pet your dog or cat. Pets can also uplift your mood.

Pets reduce the likelihood and severity of depression. If you’ve ever had a pet, you already know you feel better after spending time with your pet.

If you’ve never had a pet, what are you waiting for?

Having companion animals while reducing stress also have been proven to improve the quality of our lives by helping us live longer.

This is because of the sense of responsibility of having a pet, which will go for a kids responsibility.

Development of Emotional Skills

Pets are the perfect conversation companions. They’re interested in what you have to say. They never judge.

Even one study found that intelligent people are likelier to talk to a pet. This can significantly help a child’s emotional development because of the sense of not being judged and the pets’ unconditional love.

In the first year of life, your pet will have similar emotional intelligence as your child.

This means that your pet will go through an emotional expression like when they are happy, sad, frightened, sleepy, hungry, etc. 

This will be familiar to your child because while they are developing, they can recognize some of these emotions within themselves.

This can help with learning to self-regulate as your child will see the non-verbal cues of the pet and take notes. 

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Greater social life. 

Dog owners have more active social lives. Most people like dogs, and dogs can reduce social tension.

It’s easier to walk up to a stranger with a dog than one without.

Pets also help children with social development because they can be conversion starters.

Just talking about the presence of pets typically positively affects people since pets are usually associated with something good, fun, and exciting. 

This positive effect can lead to your child having a better positive self-image, which helps when it comes to social development in spaces like school or extracurricular activities. 

Less pain.

People who spend time with dogs after surgery use less pain medication after surgery than those who don’t.

This benefit extends to other situations as well. If you have chronic pain, having a pet you love can help.

This can also help when it comes to your mental health. Having pets naturally boosts your mood, which can lead to less anxiety.

It’s also known that having a pet will boost your immune system, which your child will benefit from. 

Best Pets for Children 

While most of the details of this post have been from a dog owner’s perspective, there are so many other pet companions that your child can have.

Caring for a pet gives children a sense of accomplishment, leading to higher self-esteem.

Always make sure you pick the pet that best fits your overall family dynamics.

The mere presence of a family pet can have positive or negative effects on some people in the family, so getting it right the first time will lead to everyone having a positive relationship with the pet. 

Here is a list of the top pets to get children.

As you review the index, the guinea pig is an excellent option for families that want early exposure to having a pet but also something that you won’t have to commit a lot of years with, like dogs and cats.

Looking for where to get your pet gear? Petco, Petsmart, and Chewy are the best places to get anything for your pet. 

• Guinea pigs
• Fish
• Rabbits
• Cats
• Hamsters
• Rats
• Dogs (my family has a Pembroke Welsh Corgi)
• Gerbils
• Turtle
• Bearded dragons
• Birds
• Chinchilla
• Geckos
• Snake
• Hedgehogs
• Brine shrimp
• Ferret
• Goldfish
• Hermit crab
• Mice
• Budgies

Final thoughts about the benefits of pets for child development.

Pets don’t talk back, complain, judge, or pack up and leave. All pets are different.

Consider your needs, desires, and lifestyle. For example, it’s easier to leave a few fish or a cat at home for the weekend than it is a dog.

When you think about the overall effects of pet ownership and its impact on the family, you will see that the possibilities outweigh the negatives.

If you want more information about any statistics included in this post, visit the International Journal of Environmental Research, a peer-reviewed research source.

It has the lasted information on studies, just like the benefits of pets for child development.

Check The Facts

You can also check out the survey data in your country if you are looking for more reasons why having pets or animal companions is a great asset to your child’s future and life.

Some places offer animal-assisted therapy as a way of helping children who may be sick or need other methods of aiding their learning. 

While having a pet won’t help with language development activities for toddlers, having a great first pet can set your child up for a great sense of self as they age.

Having close relationships with any type of animal has so many benefits. 

Studies also show that childhood pet ownership can lead to better adulthood pet ownership.

Whether it is a classroom pet or a household pet, the role of pets plays a vital role in the development of children.

It doesn’t matter if you like dogs, cats, fish, birds, rats, or rabbits.

A pet can do a lot for your happiness, mental and physical health, and overall enjoyment of life!

The benefits of having a pet outweigh the temporary disadvantages of having a pet.

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