Are your kids begging you for a household pet with their own set of big puppy dog eyes? Having a household pet is a wonderful way to teach your kids about the value of responsibility involving another life. Whatever pet you intend on getting, whether it be something as small as a fish or a puppy or cat, it is important to raise children that understand the responsibility involved with raising a pet. Some parents may have some inhibitions about introducing a pet into their family home life, worrying that they will be left with the entire workload of taking care of the pet. However, if you take the time out to slowly introduce the idea of responsibility to your child they will begin to take on more of the workload, especially as they age.

Depending on the sort of pet you choose to introduce to your family, there will be different beginning workloads that you can introduce to your child. If you decide to go all out and get them the puppy they’ve been begging for, you can start them off with cleaning and adding water to the puppy’s bowl for a week straight. After a small task like ‘water bowl supervisor’, you can begin to introduce more and more tasks. Under your supervision, allow your child to begin taking on the task of grooming and washing the puppy. If you have bought your puppy various toys, encourage your child to pick them up after playing with the pup just like they would do with their own toys. Go on walks with your child, and encourage them to hold onto the leash, once again supervising and depending on the size of the dog and the age of your child.

Getting a family pet doesn’t have to be another responsibility on your already overfilled workload. This can be an amazing learning experience for you and your child as they begin to care for another living animal. Responsibility and caring will be the most important facets they will pick up from such an enlightening new experience and family playmate.