Do Pets Help Kids Learn?
We won’t all agree on which pet is best-dogs, cats, turtles, fish, and the list goes on. However, we can all agree that pets are beneficial for mental health and companionship. But do they specifically help kids learn? I believe the answer is ABSOLUTELY!
There’s myriad information online about this, but I’m just going to share what I’ve seen from personal experience with my own family and friends.
A few years ago my daughter and I started volunteering at our local animal shelter. She has always loved animals and her homeschooling schedule allowed her the flexibility to volunteer on some weekdays.
I, however, have never been an animal person! But I started volunteering with her (only because children under 16 had to have a parent with them.)
It turned out to be a wonderful experience for both of us! We cleaned cages for the bunnies and cats, dispensed food and water, and folded laundry. Playing with and cuddling the kittens and bunnies was an added bonus. I gradually became more comfortable around animals and was finally willing to consider indulging my daughter’s lifelong dream…having a cat in our house…
Here’s a short list of the educational and life skills we learned from volunteering with the animals at the shelter:
- Dependability-Shelter staff rely on volunteers to show up to their scheduled shift. Animals rely on volunteers for clean bedding and cages as well as food and water.
- Empathy-All kinds of animals end up at shelters, young and old, healthy and sick. The shelter put a card with the animal’s name and information about where it was found, likes and dislikes, etc. This opened our eyes to the sad situations many animals find themselves in.
- Academic-This really spurred an interest in learning about animals and in veterinary science. Suddenly, my daughter was obsessed with becoming a veterinarian and researching all about cats and cat care which eventually led to us doing something I had always said I never wanted to do, adopting a cat!
Dunkin
We were able to pick out the cutest tuxedo kitten! He was found in the parking lot of a Dunkin Donuts when he was just a few days old so we named him Dunkin. The shelter told us he was a short haired domestic. Well, it turns out he’s a Maine Coon! Definitely NOT a short haired cat! Haha! He quickly became part of our family, but there was definitely a learning curve.
My daughter was15 at the time so definitely old enough to be charged with the responsibility of cat care. He was “her” cat. She fed and cleaned up after him. He even slept in her bed for awhile. At first, she was kind of annoyed at the constant kitten pranks and meowing. But over time he settled down, and they both settled into a routine. She proved to be an extremely responsible “cat mom.” They have a really special bond, and I’m so glad we took the leap and brought him into our home! We’ve met other families over the years who weren’t sure about having pets at first but now feel like their pet is a member of the family! So how do pets help kids learn? Read on for a list of things that have stood out to me over the years.
Pets help kids learn:
- Time management and Responsibility-when to feed them, walk them, give medications, etc.
- Patience and flexibility-Training pets and living with them requires both of these qualities.
- Academically-May spur interest in reading about animals, studying animal science, writing stories about animals, etc. In searching the web for information about animal care children also learn how to process information and make the most informed decision about caring for their pet. They can also learn how to discern reliable information from a trusted website vs information based on opinions (such as reddit.)
- Empathy-Pet owners learn to observe and respond to non verbal cues to meet their pet’s needs.
- Physical exercise-especially true with dogs who need daily walks/runs and are generally more playful
- Emotional Intelligence-I’ve also noticed over the years that having pets can help children learn to verbalize and deal with their own feelings. When I was classroom teaching there were several occasions when a student would tell me about how “sad” or “anxious” their pet was feeling about an upcoming move or life event. Upon further discussion I realized that was actually how the child was feeling and that they were projecting that onto their pet. Sometimes it’s easier to name an emotion you are having when you see that emotion mirrored in someone or something else.
If you are considering getting a pet you can’t go wrong by checking out your local animal shelter. They are generally very helpful and great sources of information. There are lots of options to choose from and many times you simply need to make a donation in order to get your pet. Many times the shelter will take care of important shots/spaying/neutering before you take them home as well. You may want to check out this article Top 10 Reasons to Adopt from an Animal Shelter.
If your lower elementary student enjoys reading animal stories, check out this cute story about a boy and his German Shepherd in my TpT store. While you’re there click the start to follow my store to receive monthly freebies. Thanks for reading!
