While this website (KidoodlePets.com) is about the fun that kids can have with pets – and I often cover things for kids to do with pets, things our family does with our own pets, current events about pets, or once in awhile I even mention my books about pets for kids, this Blog is primarily about the “benefits” of children having a pet: Why Kids Need Pets.

I’ve found over “100 reasons Kids Need Pets” that are confirmed by professional studies, but not one of them adopting a pet “To Teach Your Child Responsibility” – yet it’s the #1 reason parents tell me they adopt a pet – to teach their kids responsibility.

Every child deserves to have a pet, BUT (note it’s a “BIG” BUT) we, as parents, have to be willing to adopt a pet for our child and take care of it ourselves! We have to teach them how to love and care for a pet.

Telling kids how to feed and pick up after a pet, and forcing them to do it, doesn’t teach a child responsibility. Parents teach children responsibility. There are a lot of ways we do that but the most important ones are being a role model, demonstrating expected behavior and setting a good example.

We would never expect a 6 year old to go to the store and choose a healthy food for a pet, pay for it, carry it in from the car, figure out where and how to store it, and when and how much to feed their pet! So why do we insist they be in charge of feeding and cleaning up after a dog, cat, gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, reptile or fish thinking they will learn “responsibility?” Doing so should not be called a “chore” either. We provide food, nutrition, and shelter for kids and pets because it’s part of loving someone to take care of them.

Kids need to understand that animals are different than humans and pets companions can’t feed themselves. Ideally the kids will eventually “want” to help feed and clean up after their pet. Yes, it will happen when they see us demonstrate how excited their pet becomes when it’s time to eat, or how thirsty their pet is when there’s no water to drink. But first we need to teach them that we do those things for the pet because we love it, like we love and care for them. Responsibility has to be taught and demonstrated.