Tuesday, April 26, 2016

National Kids & Pets Day


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!!



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