1 . When your child begins to beg for a pet, you may draw back at the thought of the additional responsibilities. Parents usually think of all the work and responsibility having a pet could bring about.     1    

● Teach responsibility.

A family pet can help show children the importance of proper care in keeping their new friend happy and healthy.    2     Give your child a sense of responsibility by having them help meet these needs, whether they feel like it that day or not.

● Encourage exercise.

If you’ve ever been forced to keep up with a young dog or cat, you know how tiring it can be!    3     By encouraging your child to play with his or her pet, both of them will get the exercise they need to sleep soundly and live healthy and happy lives.

    4    

Teaching your child how to “play nice” with and show affection to another living being is an essential first step toward developing lifelong empathy (共情) for others. Learning how to be a good friend with a pet will teach one how to be more open and friendly to other people as well.

● Be practical.

While the benefits of pet ownership are clear, pets are definitely not for everybody. Raising pets requires a large amount of work and responsibility. You’d better make sure the whole family is aware of the requirement that come along with the pet.     5     It’s best to introduce the potential pet to your child before bringing him or her home to ensure that there is a healthy connection.