Children should grow up with animals as the relationship brings many rewards such as coping with feelings, managing oneself better and learning about responsibility.
Phillippa Denney, the head teacher at Kilby St Mary’s CofE Primary school near Leicester, UK believes that:
“Fewer and fewer children have the opportunity to have pets these days. It’s a luxury for many families. Both parents work and it’s a big time commitment having an animal, and some families struggle financially, some have phobias and allergies. Hardly any of them even seem to have hamsters but that’s a way to learn about responsibility and also grief. We’ve so much to learn from animals.”
I totally agree. It could almost be obligatory by law to look after a companion animal. The trouble is that the world is populated with people who are distinctly unsuited to the task and these people are invariable bad people. But babies aren’t born to abuse animals. It is a learned process.
Phillipa said what she said because she had invited an organisation, Stable Relationships, to her school to help fill the gap left by a lack of contact by her students to companion animals at home.
Stable Relationships arranged for three horses, Dolly, Lily and Bilbo, to visit the school. Stable Relationships was set up by a former teacher, Debbie Wolf. She said that horses were sensitive to emotions because in the wild they were prey animals. They were extremely sensitive to human emotions. The horses’ presence encouraged the young students to address tricky questions about their emotions.
Horses can detect if a person is presenting a calm exterior but feeling scared. They can pick up on human emotions.
In contact with horses, the children learn to control their behaviour and to avoid emotional outbursts.
Pets as Therapy, a charity, has been taking cats and dogs into hospitals, care homes and special needs schools since 1983. There are countless examples of animals including many cats providing a similar service to children and adults alike.
Children are particularly excited around animals and become involved – a good basis for learning. Animals have a lot to give to humans. We should respect them more.
P.S. Children raised with pets are healthier, research indicates.
I come from a long line of pet owners/lovers. Growing up with cats, dogs, and horses has made me a better person. I can’t imagine how cold, dull, and boring life would be without the love and companionship of an animal. No one in my family ever surrendered the family dog or cat because of the new baby. Instead, the new baby bonded with the resident dog/cat and became best friends. Children were taught from infancy to respect animals and that also plays an important part in our lasting relationships with animals.
On a side note about horses:
When my daughter was small, we lived next door to two horses who belonged to the neighbors. My daughter adored them, and they loved her. When she would come up to the fence, the male would reach over and nuzzle the top of her head. (Her hair was blonde like straw. :D) The first time he did it, she freaked out. But once she understood that he was loving her, she enjoyed the attention. She has loved animals ever since. And her super best friend for the past twelve and a half years is her Border Collie.
It has also been proved that children brought up in a household of pets become immune to allergies or certain diseases as they grow.I personally always had a pet since childhood and proof that living with pets boosts one’s immune system.No doubt pets are expensive to maintain but are worth the effort and time as they provide unconditional love and teach us humans the meaning of “Patience”.
Thanks Rudolph for reminding me of the immune boosting benefits of being with a pet. I have a page on that so I’ll add a sentence to the article.