Shared Spaces and Experiences
How many adverts as well as real life scenarios do you see of pets and children playing together both at home and outside. Parks and commons in London have become arenas of discovery. Dogs chase balls with the same excitement as children chasing after their friends or kicking a ball about. Homes resonate with the shared noises of playful barks and cheerful children’s laughter.
Education and Training
Training a pet shares numerous parallels with educating a child. Puppies attend obedience schools, akin to how children go to educational institutions. The process is a journey of learning, discipline, and socialisation, fostering growth and maturity in both. A training certificate is really helpful when renting a property with your dog. It shows a landlord that you are responsible dog owner. Less likely there will be damage to the property.
Health and Wellness
Vaccinations, regular health check-ups, and maintaining a nutritious diet are pivotal elements in the lives of both pets and children. Just as parents navigate the landscape of their children’s healthcare, pet owners are equally invested in ensuring the well-being of their pets. Again, being on top of your vaccinations shows a landlord you are organised and responsible dog owner.
Social Interactions
Pets and children have rich social lives. Playdates, park outings, and birthday parties are common occurrences, helping them to develop social skills, make friends, and enrich their lives through interaction. So important for children and dogs to be able to socialise. Living in a big city, you want your children and dogs to run off and have fun. You don’t want to worry about whether they will ‘fit in’ or that your dog has issues interacting with others and has to be kept on a lead.
Life's Milestones
The life journey of pets and children is punctuated with milestones, from the joyous moments of first steps and playful discoveries to the challenges of adolescence and beyond. Their parallel journeys are woven into the fabric of the families they belong to.
Mental Health
Research has proven that pets are good for your mental health. Stroking a dog or cat relaxes you. Coming home to be greeted by your dog makes you happy. Children, especially teenagers are less like to do so. More a case of ‘what’s for supper?’ Some hospitals allow a dog in to relax patients. There are ‘bring your dog’ to the office days. Makes people happy. It has also been shown to make people more productive in the office. My dog has her bed in the corner by my desk. She loves being snuggled up in the corner and I love her being by my side. I feel supported and able to get on with my work.
Emotional Support and Growth
Both pets and children offer incredible emotional support and love to their families. They grow, learn, play, and face life’s challenges together, each playing a significant role in the family's emotional well-being.
As a parent, at the end of the day when the children grow up and go off to University or get a job, standing by your side is your dog or cat. They are your children and you support each other.
I know when a member of my family is sick, my beagle/basset, Biscuit, is lying by their side throughout the day. She is their ‘nurse’, without the ‘medical qualifications’. Makes you feel better though with her next to you. Even though, they may take up most of the bed.
Conclusion
In the modern-day world, pets are indeed an integral part of the family. When you sit down and go through the ‘family album’, you also talk about your dogs or cats growing up and what they meant to you at the different stages of your life.
You always remember your first pet, whether it was a hamster, a dog, cat or a rabbit. Just like you always remember when you became a parent. You look back with that feeling of ‘happiness’.
There is that unconditional love for your family, whether they have 2 or 4 legs.