This is a guest post by Cindy Grant. Cindy is founder of NolongerWild.com and also a crazy fan of dogs, cats and all kinds of in-house little cute pets. Feel free to read all amazing things about Pet’s Breed, Training, Behavior, Food and Health on her blog. With such big passions in pets, she strongly hopes NolongerWild will be a friendly community where she can connect with those who share the same hobby.

Ghandi said it best when he stated; “the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

With so much animal abuse and neglect in the world today we may wonder where exactly morality is sitting, but how can we expect things to change for our furry friends if we fail to teach our children how to be loving, empathetic and caring individuals?

In this post, we are going to cover 6 tips to teach our children how to be kind to animals.

Tip #1 – Start Them Out, Young

Children are empty vessels and will reflect what we as parents teach them. By giving our children guidance and proper pet instruction when they are young, they will grow up to care for and respect our animal friends. After all, kids aren’t born having the skills and mindset to treat animals well. It is we (as adults) that are responsible for instilling these behaviors into them.

Tip #2 – Lead By Example

On the heels of teaching your young children about caring for animals, is to lead by example. If you have a dog that you are constantly reprimanding or yanking on its leash due to the lack of proper training, your child will pick up on these negative actions and will think this is how animals should be treated and viewed as. Show love, care, and respect when dealing with your family pets so your kids will too.

Tip #3 – Learn About Animals

There are a few different ways your child can learn about animals. These include;

• Observe them in the wild. If you can, take your child to a nature preserve to view animals in their natural habitat. This allows them to see animals as an individual living creature with feelings and family connections. If you don’t have access to a preserve a park or your own backyard can still be utilised. Put out a bird feeder or feed the squirrels to help your child see animals in their own little worlds.

• Read books about animals. Books on nature and how animals grow and live can all be useful information to teaching a little one about care and respect for animals.
• Learn via videos/Television. There are plenty of good videos and nature channels that show animals in the wild. These can be great teaching tools as well.

Tip #4 – Visit Your Local Shelter

Every shelter or rescue centre has a number of abandoned cats and dogs due to human actions. These places can make wonderful teaching tools for our children. Help them gain a sense of caring and empowerment by involving them in picking out items to donate to the shelter. These can include used items such as blankets and towels to new pet toys, food, and treats. Some children may even want to donate their allowance or birthday money to these facilities in an effort to help.

Tip #5 – Skip the Harmful Animal Industries

Zoos and circuses are not always the best example of human care when it comes to our four-legged friends. Avoid these types of areas if they are sub-par to avoid sending the wrong messages and impressions.

Tip #6 – Give Them Animal-Related Responsibility

If you have a pet, allow your child some age-appropriate responsibilities. This could include filling the kibble bowl, brushing the animal or walking it. Children will relate better to an animal if they can take part in their daily care. This type of practice will also show how their actions directly affect the pet.

Kids, Care, and Animals

We are responsible for how our children are raised and respect those around them, including our furry, feathery and scaly counterparts. Let’s give our children the guidance and tools they need to be animal-loving adults.