Make Your Child An Animal Lover: The Time To Start Is Now

Compassion and respect for all forms of life is an important personality trait that is best implanted in one’s child during the early years.

The moral science lectures at school may effectively touch on the theory of kindness, but practicing it in reality eventually depends upon your child’s awareness of the environment and the comfort-level s/he shares with other living beings.

Although most children have a natural affinity towards nature and animals, they can unknowingly hurt an animal out of enthusiasm or ignorance. Moreover, fear and lack of familiarity can often short-circuit love and compassion.

An urban environment and pet-less households can further alienate children from furred and feathered planet-mates. By teaching children to respect animals, we are doing our bit to raise a sensitive generation that is connected to nature – this eventually translates into fewer incidents of animal cruelty and abuse.

A Hands-On Approach To Awareness

Keeping a household pet is by far the best way to bring your child closer to the animal world, but caring for one is an acquired skill. If the prospect of a dog or a cat seems too daunting, consider smaller pets like goldfish, hamsters and guinea pigs. These are relatively less demanding in terms of feeding, space and care.

A child will learn a lot about animals by observing the mannerisms of a pet, and will gradually identify the animal as a member of the family. Allow your child to feed, pet and groom the animal to strengthen the bond between the two – this also helps kids comprehend the needs of pets, and of acting responsibly towards them.

When you talk to your child about animals and pets, avoid referring to them as ‘it’. Instead, refer to the animal by name or use nouns like he’ or ‘she’. This helps children to associate animals with living beings that experience pleasure and pain just like humans.

Once children identify an animal as a ‘person’ rather than a thing, they are more likely to respect their feelings. For example, try “Coco is too tired to play right now,” instead of “Don’t play with the dog. It will bite you!” Let your voice reflect love and compassion for animals if you would like your children to develop the same values.

Allow your children to interact with animals of different species. Maybe a neighbor’s affectionate dog can make a good playmate for your child. Teach your children to always ask the owner before playing with a pet dog, as some dogs do not appreciate juvenile company.

Always supervise such interaction to avoid one of the two hurting the other. Also, teach your kids not to mess around with animals during mealtimes or when they are sleeping.

Show them the correct way of petting a dog without touching trouble spots like the tail and the eyes. Children should also be told that animals feel immense pain when their hair is pulled and when they are poked in the eye.

Set The Stage

Try setting up bird-baths and small birdhouses made of plywood on your balcony or in the garden for sparrows, pigeons and mynahs to move into. It is a joy to have chirping birds around, and your child will enjoy feeding these new-found feathered friends.

Very often, birds (especially sparrows and pigeons) nest inside the birdhouses. Use this opportunity to make your child aware of the life-cycle of birds, their feeding habits and behavior patterns. Take care, however, not to disturb the birdies while doing so.

Take your child for a visit to the zoo and use the occasion to talk about different species, the difference between domestic and wild animals, wildlife concerns like hunting, poaching and endangered species.

A pet dog can be a great way to make your child an animal lover

Let them know how each animal is vital to the ecosystem and what the world would be without them. You could also spend a few hours at a local animal shelter or veterinary hospital to sensitize your child towards abandoned, sick and injured animals.

Older kids may be encouraged to volunteer at such places during holidays, or on a couple of Sundays every month. Such activities are a tremendous learning experience, and significantly add to your child’s extracurricular repertoire.

If you ever find your child beating up a mute animal out of fear or teasing it for mere entertainment, express your anger and disappointment at the cruel behavior. Animals usually don’t retaliate unless they are threatened or cornered in some way.

Let your kids know that behaving badly with animals is not acceptable, and that an animal’s feelings are no different from those of human beings. Children should be asked to make up for their cruelty by gently caressing the animal and offering treats in order to re-establish trust.

Introduce your child to stories and books that talk about the beautiful relationship between humans and animals. Several movies (animated and otherwise) that delve into the psyche of animals will help your children relate to the feelings and emotional needs of animals. ‘The Jungle Book’, ‘Old Yeller’, ‘Lassie’, ‘Black Beauty’ and ‘Lady and The Tramp’ are great to begin with.

By infusing your child’s hearts with love and regard for animals, you are not only contributing towards their moral development but also increasing the odds of creating a better world for all living beings.

© Shuchi Kalra

Shuchi Kalra is a freelance writer based in India. Her works have been published several online and print publications- both in India and abroad. She also writes content for websites, businesses and portals. She is currently working on a short-story anthology.

This article may be reproduced with the complete author bio and a live link to http://www.lovingyourchild.com

Additional resources:

Choose the Best Dog for Your Child – Thousands of dogs lose their home every day because families don’t know the steps to choosing the right dog for their family. Avoid heartbreak and choose the best dog for your family.
Your Pet Secrets - Find all the best information to help you care for your favorite pets in the one place. Products for dogs, cats, birds, fish, horses, cattle, poultry, pigs and goats.
Pet Grooming School – Love caring for animals? Enroll today and get certified as a “Certified Pet Groomer” & “Certified Pet Hygienist” from anywhere in the world and from the comfort of your own home! Available worldwide.