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Animals can make amazing additions to any family, especially families with young children. However, there are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to implementing a new animal into your family, especially if your child is not very familiar with interacting with animals. Here are several ways to make this process as seamless as possible!
Take it slow
The introduction of a new animal can be as gradual as you need it to be—starting from just showing your child pictures of the animal or taking him to an animal shelter where he can play in a safe environment. Another good idea is letting him play with a trusted friend’s pet in order to instill the idea that animals are friendly and familiar to others your child knows.
Talk about do’s and don’ts beforehand
Express to your child that animals have feelings just like people do and can feel pain and happiness. Go through the steps of how to approach an animal many times with your child—like putting his hand out and allowing the animal to smell him first and showing him safe places to pet the animal. Remind your little one not to pull on any tails or whiskers.
Prepare your animal
There are also steps you can take with the animal to prepare it to meet your child. When picking out your animal, do research. When it comes to dogs, you’ll want to know what breeds do well with children and how extensive their needs are when it comes to attention. Some animals do not take well to competing for their owner’s attention with a child. Talk to the shelter about the animal you’re considering, and ask questions about its past. You can even look into an animal that has been fostered before, which is a great way to give an animal who has already been exposed to small children a permanent home.
By setting some ground rules, having patience, and discussing the process ahead of time, you can have confidence that the introduction of a new animal into your home will be both smooth and safe.
If you enjoyed this blog and want to read more, click below for our blog from last month!
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