In The Perfect Pet, a young boy’s mom has finally agreed to let him have a pet! This book takes us through the many kingdoms, classes, orders, families, and genera as he tries to figure out what pet he should get. Eventually, after realizing everything that it takes to take care of a pet, he decides on simply getting a plant.
Pets are a lot of responsibility. But pets can also teach our children how to be more responsible. Although many responsibilities of owning a pet still tend to fall back on parents, there are a lot of tasks that children can take care of as well.
For example, toddlers up to age five can help to put food and water in the pet’s dishes–with supervision, of course. We don’t want too many spills! They can also assist in washing the dishes and putting away toys. And when it comes to brushing and grooming, you can hold the pet while they brush. A lot of times it’s a two person job anyways!
Children aged five to ten should be able to take on even more responsibilities, such as feeding the pet unassisted. Perhaps they can even help with bathtime or taking the pet for walks! This is also a great age to let the dirty bathroom area cleaning fall to the child and give yourself a break.
After age ten, children should be able to assume full pet responsibility.
Although taking care of a pet can seem like a lot of work, they are also wonderful additions to the household. They help to teach children about responsibility but are also great companions. Rescuing a pet from an animal shelter is also a great way to help out in your community and give an animal a loving home.
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