Are Pets a Must Have for Kids?

[Anonymous]

Do I have to let my elementary aged kids have either a dog or cat? Are they missing out if they don't grow up with a pet at all? Am I depriving my kids by not getting a pet? I feel like it's a ton of work (if you want to be a good pet owner), cost $$ & time, inconvenient when we travel, etc. Also, with 2 working parents (not WFH) & kids' busy sports schedule, we are not at the house a lot except late nights, in other words, I feel like we can't give the pet enough attention if we had one. Your thoughts?

[Anonymous]

No, they don't need to have a pet.

I LOVE animals and will always have a dog, but it is a huge commitment.. for the parents. Even the most responsible elementary kid is not caring for a dog on their own. No mistake, it will fall on you.

In your situation, I would not get a dog. A cat could be better (never had one but they seem easier). I might also consider something like a hamster or a guinea pig.

[Anonymous]

No, and it is better to grow up without pets than to grow up with a pet who the family doesn't have the time or motivation to care for, train, etc.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how there are a lot of things that parents get pressured into believing are essential for a good childhood, and how many of them are massive burdens that can go very wrong. A pet is in this category. The other one's I can think of are: having more kids to give your child the experience of siblings or in the hopes they will become close; certain expensive experiences like Disneyland or travel sports.

Now, all of those things can be great! If you actually want to do them, have the resources to dedicate to them, and they make sense for your actual kids (instead of some theoretical generic kid). But telling parents that if they don't adopt a dog, have at least 2 kids, spend 8k on a trip to Disneyland, or get their kids into travel soccer, their children will grow up incorrectly and resent them forever could cause more problems than it solves.

[Anonymous]

Yes they’re missing out in some ways. But kids can’t have everything everyone else has. That’s just not reasonable. Pets are work and if you’re not committed to it for 5-18 years then don’t do it.
Kids in apartments miss out in having back yards, kids in large families miss out on individual attention. Only children miss out on sibling connections.
I could go on, you do what works for your family.

[Anonymous]

15-18 years that should say above

[Anonymous]

The answer to your first question is no. The answer to your second and third question is yes.

This past weekend I was at a friend's house - they have two girls who are 4 and 8. The 4 yr old has been, in her parents terms, a holy terror since she was born. Non-stop tantrums, whining, interruptions constantly, etc. Their older child has the behavior of an average 8 yr old.

They got a dog last summer. This weekend when I was there, the girls were doing a jigsaw puzzle. The mom and I sat at the table while the girls did it. A puzzle piece fell on the floor. The 4 yr old immediately put her foot out to cover the puzzle piece. She was too short so I covered it with my foot. Without saying a word she crawled under the table and got the piece off the floor.

Later, she wanted something and was saying "Mama .... mama!" while my friend and I were talking. Then she turned to the dog and said "Come be patient and wait with me."

So the dog is actually helping her become a better person. Having said all that, the parents got a dog because THEY wanted a dog. Not because they wanted to give their kids a dog.

[Anonymous]

We did gerbils.

[Anonymous]

I think it's good to at least spend time with animals if you don't have a pet. My DH didn't grow up around animals. He was so weird and nervous around other people's pets when we first got together and animals picked up on it and returned that energy back to him. For a long time he got the very worst version of every single animal he encountered. We had a dog thrust into our life and it took him a while to learn how to behave around a pet.

It's something that you can learn if you have to. People who didn't grow up around babies learn fast how to take care of their own child, it's just more of an adjustment.

[Anonymous]

If you have a pet, it's great for your kids.
If you get your kid their own pet, it's bad.

[Anonymous]

Don't get a dog on this schedule. Maybe a cat. If you get a dog it will have issues from being alone too much, unless it's an old dog who sleeps a ton & might not mind as much.

There is stress that comes with animals... sometimes they wreck stuff, and they do unexpected things and have unexpected events that you have to be responsible for.

I have a 6lb dog and he's not too expensive at all. He also is usually invited to come to places we go (including my work) because he's very well trained & socialized. It's pretty easy to find people who want to watch him. He can get enough exercise just in the house so walks aren't always necessary.

I'm a single mom and sometimes I rue the day I got the dog. He's another being I'm solely responsible for. But he's also a big bonding value to our family. We all share pics and stories about him and everybody is always happy to see him. He shows up with a full personality that everyone relates too. He brings a lot of fun.

[Anonymous]

I couldn't imagine not having my two dogs but good lord it's so much extra work. They do things like leave diarrhea all over the carpet, or eat a pile of grapes at 11pm so you have to go get their stomachs pumped in the middle of the night, make sure they get lots of attention, walks, grooming. Kenneling them is expensive on trips. So much extra cleaning, mopping, vacuuming. Just don't.

[Anonymous]

A dog is an extra child. Just consider that . You have to train your dog, groom your dog, take your dog to the park, and not isolate it at home all day. It is work .

If your kids like cats, I would start with that. They are way easier but not as much fun as a dog

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I couldn't imagine not having my two dogs but good lord it's so much extra work. They do things like leave diarrhea all over the carpet, or eat a pile of grapes at 11pm so you have to go get their stomachs pumped in the middle of the night, make sure they get lots of attention, walks, grooming. Kenneling them is expensive on trips. So much extra cleaning, mopping, vacuuming. Just don't.

Um, I don't mean this in a cruel way but my dog has zero access to food except hers. Why does your dog have access to grapes? If you want your dog's stomach to be kind to your carpet, have a clean house and be careful about what they put in their mouth. We got a dog that has hair rather than fur so almost no shedding, we brush her almost each night while watching a show or talking with each other - it takes five minutes, and we trained her and trained our kids on how to uphold that training. She knows not to put anything in her mouth that she finds on walks, she knows the terms "drop it" and "leave it", and we find her very easy. We have a house/dog sitter when we travel. Much more comfortable for the dog, and we like knowing someone's watching our house, watering the plants, taking in the mail, turning on and off lights, etc.

[Anonymous]

No. Do pet sitting, pet boarding, dog walking and open Roth IRA's for the kids.
Invest in stocks as they are very young. Pay the taxes ofcourse.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Everyone needs a dog. They are magic.