Parenting With Pets, the Magic of Raising Children With Pets [Revised, Second Edition]
PARENTING WITH PETS
THE MAGIC OF RAISING
CHILDREN WITH ANIMALS
Revised, Second Edition
CHRISTINE HAMER & MARGARET HEVEL
Book Publishers Network
P.O. Box 2256
Bothell • WA • 98041
Ph • 425-483-3040
Copyright © 2014 by Christine Hamer and Margaret Hevel
Graphics © 2007 Jupiterimages Corporation
Revised, Second Edition
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-2069-1
Proofreader: Julie Scandora
Cover Design: Laura Zugzda
Interior Layout: Stephanie Martindale
Dedication
To all the pets who have enriched our lives and made us better parents.
Acknowledgements
This book was created because we love animals and children. We have been enriched because of their involvement in our lives. Several stories in the book were written by children; we thank them for sharing. We also have many adults to thank for their contributions. Molly and Bonnie, your stories were great. A special thank you to Gail Hanninen for collecting so many of the childrens’ stories, Liz Wilson and Pam Bennett for reviewing the sections on parrots and cats, and the many readers who gave us valuable feedback and helped to improve the book.
We also wish to thank our family and friends for all their support and for reading versions of the book as it evolved. Last but certainly not the least; we would like to thank you, dear reader, for buying our book.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Nothing’s impossible in my world of make-believe.
Birds move in the air above. Some day I’ll join them.
I can fly to the ground from huge rocks and big logs.
And . . .once I flew from the top board fence . . .
That’s a long ways.
Wanna see?
- Margaret Hevel
Ask children about their animal friends and watch their faces light up. Animals touch an intimate part of our souls and enrich our lives. They can be a working partner or a guardian angel. Even the most jaded adolescent will soften when shown the furry faces of kittens or puppies. Animals ground us. They help us not to take ourselves too seriously. Their very nature impels us to earn their trust. Their unwavering faith in us invites us to live at our best.
This sense of well-being and of being loved should be reason enough to recommend that all families include animals in their lives. However, there are also physiological benefits to owning a pet.
These health benefits are even gaining attention from the medical community. As a key seminar speaker in 2002, Doctor Edward Creagan, a Mayo Clinic cancer specialist said, “I consider getting a pet to be one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to living a longer, healthier life.”
At one time, Canada was considering a bill that would subsidize the costs of pet ownership for the elderly. Supporters of this bill claimed that the money spent on pet welfare would be offset by a reduction in medical and health care expenses. Their claims were based on some substantial studies. In 1999, Petnet Australia estimated that companion animals saved the Australian government a whopping 2.27 billion dollars of health care expenditures. The study found that when compared to non-pet owners, people who own pets visit the doctor less often, use less medication, have lower cholesterol and blood pressure, recover more quickly from illness and surgery, are less lonely, and deal better with stress.
The elderly are not the only ones plagued by stress. Stresses placed on our children have skyrocketed over the past twenty years. Children as young as nine years old are experiencing panic attacks, and twelve-year-olds are suffering from ulcers. Chronic stress can elevate blood pressure, a major cause of cardiovascular disease. Some elementary schools, aware of the growing epidemic, are offering stress-reduction classes.
Adolescence is one of the most stressful times in human growth and development. Not only is society placing pressure on youth, but also the adolescent’s body is changing at a rapid rate. Teen suicide and homicide rates have tripled. Teens have so much going on in their lives that, as parents, we often walk that fine line between encouragement and intrusion. Teaching teens methods to handle stress can help reduce their anxiety. For instance, encouraging a teen to take the dog on regular walks can be very therapeutic, both physically and emotionally. During physical activity, the body stimulates the release of hormones that combat depression. Walking with a dog will take advantage of the pet’s natural calming effect in addition to the benefits of walking.
In February of 2000, researchers at State University of New York in Buffalo studied a group of stockbrokers, one of the most stressful professions. As part of the research, the stockbrokers were paired with a pet in order to study the effects of having a pet in the family. Although all of the subjects showed some kind of health issues at the start of the research, the results showed that a pet provided a positive impact on the general health and well-being of the stockbrokers. The researchers admitted they were not sure exactly how the animals effected the positive changes. They hypothesized, however, that it had to do with reliability and consistency. They believe that pets provide a calming comfort in an otherwise chaotic world. A companion pet can offer this same comfort and consistency to our children.
Another reason a companion pet’s presence can be so important for our children is its effect as an antidepressant. One study found that a few minutes of cuddling a pet relieved more stress than talking with a parent or a friend. Further, if a child is carrying out an unpleasant task such as a dreaded homework assignment, a pet’s presence was more effective in making the task palatable than having a human companion.
At Purdue University Center for the Human-Animals Bond, Dr. Alan Beck found that nearly seventy percent of children confide in their pets. The children said that they knew their pets would not betray them or their secrets. In general, children gave animals high scores for listening, reassurance, appreciation, and companionship. They also believed their pets provided them with unconditional love. One 1985 Michigan study found that seventy-five percent of children age ten to fourteen turned to their feathered or furry friend when they felt upset. Pets don’t discriminate and they don’t judge.
A pet can serve as a safe outlet for different family members to share with one another. Pets offer parents teachable moments; they can be a conduit both for our children’s and for our emotions. Communication that might be stilted and difficult can flow smoothly over the shared task of grooming a pet or cleaning a cage.
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“Providing an enriched environment encourages children to become active participants rather than observers.”
- Marion Diamond, PH.D., Magic Trees of the Mind
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A pet’s ability