Many children grow up having a family pet or two to take care of. Well, I’ve always had at least seven pets. There were cats, turtles, fish, small mammals, and a dog. Honestly, it’s crazy to live with such a variety of pets. Veterinarian appointments, grooming, aquatic tanks, buying the correct food for each animal; it’s expensive! But there are three great main things that being a pet owner has taught me.
1. Responsibility
There are a lot of parents who believe that getting a family pet for their child(ren) will teach them great responsibility and choice-making skills; which couldn’t be truer! If there are multiple pets in the household, it requires more responsible decisions and actions in order to properly take care of the animals. As you get older, you have more responsibilities and errands to take care of. Growing up with pets gives you a head start with that. Whether it’s going to the pet store with your mom to buy more fish food or taking your dog to the vet with your dad, you’re exposed to important responsibility skills that can be applied later in your life.
2. Patience
Admittedly, this one was a bit hard for me to learn. Being patient with an animal at a young age is sometimes difficult. Especially if you’ve just watched Air Bud and are wondering why your dog can’t play basketball like Air Bud can. But practicing patience with animals at a young age can help you have more tolerance for people as time goes by. My pets have helped me tremendously when it comes to patience.
3. Nurturing Skills
Being a good pet owner generally means that you are willing to have a caring attitude toward your pet. Being a caring person in life is a choice, but it’s a choice that goes a long way. I plan on being a preschool teacher in the future, which requires a great deal of responsibility and patience. I believe that having nurturing skills as a teacher is something that may seem obvious but, but not all teachers have said skills. Caring and kindness have significant impacts when teaching children and are also important when taking care of a beloved pet.
You have to put time and effort into being a pet owner, and that time and effort can be used in many ways throughout adulthood. I love all of my current pets as well as the ones who have passed. I especially love the great things they’ve taught me about myself and about life.