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| Lisa Lambie |
Started in 2005, National Kids & Pets Day is
celebrated on April 26th. Colleen Paige’s goal of creating this day was simple.
It is dedicated to celebrating the bond between children and animals.
Furthermore, it helps bring awareness to the homeless animals in shelters all
over the USA and educating people about safety between children and pets.
Pets and children can learn a lot from each
other. Children learn kindness and compassion toward all living creatures and this
will hopefully make them tender and nurturing parents someday. They learn daily
responsibility of taking care of, feeding, and giving quality time to a pet.
This idea has expanded into reading programs across America. An otherwise shy
and non-confident kid can go and read to an animal in a shelter and feel great
in a non-judgmental environment. It boosts their ego a little and the dog
learns something in return! Pets gain
knowledge of how to interact with children and be in the presence of humans.
That being said, we as parents need to teach
our children respect toward the pets in the home. Never leave a child
unattended with any pet. Our children can be unintentionally harmed and most
accidents including scratches during rough play or being knocked down can be
avoided with proper supervision.
One more thing to remember is to research
whether or not your family is ready and in a position to get and care for a pet
properly. They can be a huge blessing and I hope that this year’s National Kids
and Pets Day is fabulous!!
