When to Know Your Child is Ready for Their First Pet

Having pets in the household can teach kids valuable lessons in responsibility and help them develop understanding and caring for animals. A child?s age should play a part regarding which pet you choose, however. Many young children, under the age of 5 or 6, have difficulty comprehending that animals are more than interesting toys. Keeping this in mind, choose pets with great care for this age group. Here are tips on choosing a first pet for children.

Fish promote calm and are appropriate pets for all ages, as long as you teach your child not to handle the fish or the aquarium. If you have a toddler or young child running around, keep the aquarium out of reach. At ages 7 and older, you can allow the child to take part in feeding the fish. Teach them the dangers of over-feeding. Most fish have a short lifespan in an aquarium. Be prepared to comfort your child if he or she grieves a fish, and take time to discuss questions that may arise about death.

If you have a child 5 and over, consider a gerbil, bunny or Guinea pig. These make good starter pets because they are docile. Hamsters bite, so if you were considering a hamster, wait until the child is 9 or 10. You will need to assist with feeding and supervise handling so your child learns how to handle the gerbil or other animal without hurting them.

When your child is around 9 years old, it is normally all right to introduce a cat or dog to your house. Your child?s maturity level, calmness and compassion, determines the exact age he or she should be allowed this type of pet. At this age, the child should be responsible for taking care of the pet?s food and water bowls as well as spending playtime with the pet. Reptiles, such as lizards, small snakes, and geckos are also appropriate for this age group. Some of these pets might require extra accessories such as incubators. Also note that reptiles require special care and some carry salmonella. Teach your child to wash his or her hands well with soap and water after handling pets.

Another pet that is suitable for children of most age groups is the sea monkey. Sea monkeys are brine shrimp. You can purchase their eggs in kits, place them and a special solution in an aquarium and watch them grow. Some sea monkey kits come with an aquarium, so you do not have to purchase it separately.

Author Bio

Melisa Cammack is a passionate freelance writer, mostly for parenting blogs and is a full-time mom of 3 young boys, so needless to say, pets are constant companions the house. Varying from snakes, dogs, ant farms, even lizards starting from reptile incubators. But Melisa?s least favorite would be tarantulas.

Source: http://pjmommy.com/when-to-know-your-child-is-ready-for-their-first-pet/

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