8 Ways to choose the perfect pet for your child.

Most parents do not have a positive reaction when their kids say that they want a reptile as their pet. Actually most parents tend to hope that their offspring will come to prefer a dog or a cat as a home pet. So what happens when from the blues, your little one proclaims that he wants a kangaroo, whale, mouse or a lizard to call his own?

The most important thing for parents to accept is that every one including their own little kids has their own different personalities. And this comes with different views, opinions and preferences on certain matters that affect personal life. You may put your foot down and say no to your kid, but truth be told, you will not always run and control your kid’s life in particular his own tastes and preferences.

There are steps to follow in getting the right pet for your kid and ensuring that both the child and the parent is happy about the pet.

1. Understand your kid. Understand he is his own entity. His tastes are much more different from yours and you should understand him as his parent. Be patient with your child no matter how terrified or skeptical you are of his ideas. Be calm and approach the situation putting his needs first. Let your needs be second to his.

2. Talk. Talk as friends. Talk of the pros and the cons of having his ideal pet. Do not rebuke or reprimand, rather joke and talk openly with him. After the talk give him adequate time for him to make up his mind.

3. Respect. Give utmost respect to your child’s preference. Do not yell, squeal or even go hysterical. Be calm and be proud that he has his own mind to have and voice a different choice and taste.

4. Duties and responsibilities. List down all the duties that will need to be carried out for the care of the pet. Make your child understand all the chores needed to be done in taking good care of the animal. Let him promise to take part in the duties. It is a good idea to make a timetable for him of such daily activities such as cleaning the pet, feeding and walking it (if it’s a dog).

5. Pet Home. The pet shelter should be considered. If it is goldfish, dog, cat, mice or hamster they could be easily accommodated in the house. A lamb or horse or other big animals will need a lot of space in your home and would also need a lot of care so this should be put into consideration. Let your child in the know.

6. Process of acquiring. What is the process of acquiring the pet? Is it adopted or just bought? The process can pose a challenge to parents as they will be faced with lots of papers or other activities involved in moving the pet to home.

7. Involve your child. Involve your child in every decision that needs to be made regarding the pet. Let him take part in preparing a shelter and home for the new pet, go get the pet with him and bring it home together (unless you want it to be a surprise), let him have the feeling that he is calling the shots, in any case it is his pet.

8. Pet naming. Let your child pick out names for his pet. This will give his so much joy and sense of ownership and responsibility.

Whatever the type of animal your child wants as pet, if the child truly loves the pet then everything else will fall into place. A pet needs to be loved and cared for and the parents should encourage this sense of virtue into their children so as to ensure the family remains happy and at peace.