Research Reveals That Children With Pets Are Happier
Almost all children, including us when we were little, have already asked for a pet for their parents. Wanting to have a pet is like wanting to have an extra member of the family, someone who can be a refuge when we are sad and a friend who will always give us love and loyalty.
However, one study found that, in addition, when parents give their children a pet, they can make their children happier and raise their self-esteem, in addition to making them less sedentary and less stressed.
A study shows that children with pets are happier
A leading digital platform in home decoration carried out a study called “Pets and the home”, where they had around 110 thousand respondents.
Of these, 82% recognized that one of the biggest benefits of having pets at home is that they make them happier, especially children. They even cited cases of withdrawn or lonely children who, after having a pet, completely changed these negative traits of their personality.
Why are children with pets happier?
This answer is simple if we think about what kind of attitude the people around us make us feel better. Likewise, pets offer us something that improves our character and increases our happiness.
- The satisfaction of taking care of someone. Sometimes children are slow to accept responsibilities, but children with pets are happier because when they learn how to care for their pet, they feel satisfied with a job well done. They are even amazed to see how they eat what they put in! A reason to smile.
“There is nothing better than the man who eats and drinks and sees good for his hard work.”
– Solomon, King of Israel before Christ –
- Know that there is always someone happy to see you. It’s great for children to come home and have an animal that will act crazy when they meet them. Knowing that your presence makes others happy makes them happy, especially children who have not been let down by others, there is much more reason.
- Have an incentive to go get some air. Fresh air and sunlight, it has been proven, brightens life and our skin as well. In fact, countries with little sunlight have the highest suicide rates. Children with pets are happier because they are forced to take their pets for walks and therefore enjoy the sun and air.
- Having someone to cry with. Animals have the ability to show empathy. Children cry easily, feeling misunderstood on many occasions, but an animal will always understand. It doesn’t matter what you cry for. The animal will not ask, it will just let itself be hugged and will give you demonstrations of love that will make them happier.
- Know that someone wants to be with you. Everyone who has an animal is delighted when they come to our side without having called. This is a demonstration that you like your company and that you are loved. What child is not happy about it?
Teach your child the truth about pets
Despite the benefits of pets for children, it is essential to teach that an animal is not a toy or a stuffed animal that we can use and discard or that it will be available to us whenever we want. They must know before the animal arrives at the house that it is a being with feelings that, on some occasions, will get tired of playing and that on others it will prefer to be alone.
And above all, that there will be a responsibility to feed him, give him clean, fresh water and bathe, as well as take him for walks two to three times a day.
If you can get your kids involved in all of this, then not only will they be happier with animals, but your kids will also become responsible, kind adults who care about the needs of others.
