Are you considering buying a dog for your child or children?
Before you do, take a moment to evaluate your family and determine if
your children are ready for a dog. Here are some questions you might use
to help you decide if buying a dog is right for your family.
Babies and Toddlers
Is this your first dog? Do you have older children as well? Why are you
getting a dog now?
These three questions will help you to consider whether you have the
knowledge concerning the time and effort required to care for a dog.
Dogs are a big responsibility and if you have not been solely
responsible for a dog previously you may find the work and time involved
in training, feeding, grooming and playing to be more than you can
handle while caring for a young baby or toddler.
Your young children may benefit from having a dog from a young age. They
will certainly develop very strong attachments to the family pet. But
young children are not very trustworthy to be left alone around a dog
and they are not aware enough to desire a pet. Not only will they do
just as well without a dog, but the extra caution needed while young
children are present may cause you more stress and frustration than
waiting until they are older.
If you are deciding to get a dog because you feel it is a normal part of
family life and you want to ‘complete’ the package while your child is
young, do not rush into purchasing a dog right away. For the various
reasons above, a dog should be considered a major decision and waiting
one year or more may be best for your situation.
If the dog is to be a companion to a mom who will now be home alone with
her child for long periods of time, maybe an older dog will provide the
needed company while avoiding the extra work of training a puppy.
Preschoolers and Young Children
If your family is established and you are not expecting to add a baby
into the mix, you still need to consider a few things before getting a
dog.
Are you aware of the time required? Can you afford a dog? Will your
children be safe?
The work of training (especially house training) and caring for a puppy
can easily take several hours of your day. Depending on your method of
obedience and house training you should consider if you have the energy
to deal with a puppy consistently and with urgency while implementing
house rules at this crucial stage.
Young children and preschoolers may find it exciting to help you feed,
wash and walk the dog. However, children this young are still likely to
startle or maul a puppy which may lead to accidental injuries – harming
both the puppy and the child.
The cost of owning a dog must also be considered. Vet fees, adoption or
purchase costs, licensing, food and grooming should be accounted for
before going to pick the dog out. Doing your homework now will avoid
unpleasant disappointment in the future.
If you feel that your life is free enough of distractions that you will
look forward to the temporary unsettling of bringing a puppy home, you
may well find this a wonderful, curious age that will be delighted with
a puppy. You will need diligence in watching both the puppy and children
until training has been established. You will also need to give your
children reminders about how they must treat the puppy to prevent
accidents.
Older Children and Teens
Some families choose to wait until children are older before bringing a
dog home. In many cases they feel this will be an aid in teaching their
children responsibility. But what questions should parents of older
children ask before getting a dog?
Who is responsible for the dog? How long will the dog be with you?
In all cases the parents must ultimately accept the responsibility of
caring for the dog, both financially and physically. Although your
pre-teen may insist on his or her desire to take full responsibility for
walking, feeding and playing with the dog, you as a parent must be
willing to take this on if your child fails to keep to his or her word.
It is a big responsibility to take on a pet like a dog. They are far
more demanding on your attention than cats or other pets. They are
social animals and you will be doing great harm if you leave your dog
tied up outside for days at a time, ignored and unhappy.
If you still choose to get a dog as a family pet you should consider the
future care of the dog. A dog generally has a life span of 10 – 15
years, depending on the breed. If you are getting a dog as a companion
for an older child or a teenager who will ultimately care for the dog
during the years to come when your child leaves home, goes to college or
gets married?
While all of these questions should assist you in determining if your
family should get a dog right now, it is also wise to find out more
about the kind of dog that would best suit your family. All the work you
do beforehand will help you make a choice that everyone will be able to
enjoy!
Shannon Emmanuel is a freelancer writer and the author of "How to Select
the Best Dog or Puppy for Your Children". Find out more about choosing a
family dog at
http://best-dog-breed-for-children.com
Dressing Girls For School
I have spoken to so many parents who tell me it is a monumental task to get
their younger daughters ready for school in the morning. Unless your daughter
has only one set of clothes to wear, she probably wants to change her outfit
three times before choosing the one she will "agree" to wear to school each day.
Here's how we solved the problem in our family...
3 Easy Ways To Make An Awesome Playroom
Are you irritated every time you walk past your kids playroom? Paper here, toys
there, the floor is strewn with stuff that you can't even guess what it is! Most
of us feel a whole lot better when things are organized. Is it natural to be
neat and tidy or is it a skill that must be learned? We'll let you worry about
that question but we'll give you a few simple ideas on how to make that playroom
fun again.
What should you expect at 6 weeks, 6 months or 1 year? We provide useful
milestones and developmental stages so that you can keep an eye on your
baby's development in the first year. Baby Stages
Ideas For Sharing Stories
With Children
This two-part article discusses the ways in which stories and
storytelling play an important role in children's lives. Techniques are
offered for using stories to help develop children's verbal skills and
imaginations. This is part one.
Who Owns The Problem; Parent or Child?
It is tempting for parents to assume ownership and responsibility for everything that goes on in the life of their child. However, when the parent jumps in too soon to solve the problem or give the answer, the child never learns to trust his own judgment and become a critical thinker.
Parenting - Making A Schedule This article on the benefits of scheduling your day as a parent
really struck home with me. It took me a while to work this out for
myself when I had young children at home, and I wish I had done so - and
benefited from the much calmer household that was the result - sooner!
