My siblings and I have doctored many a injured, wayfaring stray: sparrows, lizards, rabbits, and dogs.
During our homeschooling, we didn't exactly have a classroom pet... more like another family member. We learned a lot about long-term commitment.
We had many different pets, some of which included: a box turtle, a horny toad, multiple hamsters, rabbits, fish, Labradors, a rat terrier, chickens, a black-headed plains snake (that didn't last long), and an ant farm. We learned a lot about feeding, watering, and clean-up duty.
Children are naturally fascinated with animals. Even getting a beta fish can teach a child a lot about responsibility. Of course, I was never really good at taking care of fish. I accidentally broke the fish bowl while walking with it from one room to another... it hit the corner of the desk. I think we did manage to get the beta into a cup of water, but the shock proved a bit too much for it.
If you don't have a pet yet and might be considering one, you might consider a more hardy pet. Labs are pretty hardy, they do get big, and they will shed... of course they might terrorize the children, chasing them around the yard and rough housing, (the children will love it, though you might be called to referee once in a while). They do love to chew. I say this from experience as nearly every piece of furniture we have, bears teeth marks.
I do have a lot of fond memories of my pets, and still creating new ones. It is fun to come home from work in the evening and be greeted by my energetic rat terrier who loves to cuddle. It is also relaxing to watch the fish in the tank swim, or throw the ball for one of our labs, almost therapeutic...
Still, if you aren't quite ready for that big of a responsibility, start them out will a small one. Like a house plant. :) For those of you who already have pets, I'd love to hear about your favorite creature. How has it helped your child to grow in responsibility?
No comments:
Post a Comment