Raising Empathy for Animals Amongst Children
Did you know that teaching children empathy skills early in life can increase their confidence and help them better handle stressful situations?
Empathy is critical to success throughout life and is a necessary component to developing positive relationships and building rewarding careers. Empathy leads to stronger relationships with people and animals, and helps prevent animal cruelty and neglect, as well as bullying in schools.
One thing was certain – caring for animals gave children a first-hand experience of thinking less about their own needs and focusing more on the needs of others, whether human or non-human. These kids certainly were far more aware and conscious of their environment and proved to be far more caring as members of the family.
Caring for a sick dog meant that they certainly wanted to care for a sick parent and knew how to do so.
Empathy for animals helps children to understand responsibility. When they go out of their way to protect animals, they find the power in themselves to take responsibility for the home, their belongings and other family members. They have a greater sense of ‘I can do this. I’m capable.’
But most importantly, I see that children who are empathetic to animals are a happier lot. They seem to rejoice in the bond that they develop with the animal who despite not talking the same language are able to reciprocate love, affection and loyalty. Somehow their world seems a happier place. Certainly, raising children to be empathetic towards animals does them a world of good and works to the advantage of their families and society too.
We all know that having pets can bring many amazing benefits into a household and can teach us so much, especially when it comes to our children. Not only do animals give unconditional love but they also provide wonderful opportunities for children to develop their emotional intelligence. This means kids will be more able to identify, evaluate and regulate emotions, which will help them build relationships, care for others. Having a pet has even been linked to increased academic success. Here’s some more specific ways pets can help children develop their emotional intelligence.
Develop Empathy
Children that have pets at home usually develop empathy as a result, both towards other animals and people. Looking after a living creature is a huge responsibility and kids must learn to think about their pets’ requirements. Small contributions such as filling up water bowls and brushing fur helps build up an emotional connection that fosters empathy. It also helps them to recognise that other humans and animals have needs too.
Understand Non-Verbal Cues
As pets are non-verbal creatures, children must learn how to identify their emotions through their physical gestures such as a wagging tail or pricked-up ears. This helps children become more in-tune with non-verbal signals to work out what they need. Children aren’t naturally born understanding these cues, but loving a pet can help them learn.
Self-Regulate Behaviour
When a pet becomes scared or upset by loud noises or boisterous behaviour, children must learn to regulate their behaviour to provide comfort. For example- they may need to pat the animal more gently and lower their voice, helping them understand how their actions affect others.
Build Up Confidence and Self Esteem
Taking care of pets means having an important responsibility, which can give children a sense of personal fulfilment and help them build up their levels of self-esteem and confidence. Even though it can be a battle to get your kids to look after pets once the novelty has worn off, it’s definitely worth persevering. When children care for an animal, they also start to feel more equipped to look after themselves, helping them become more independent.
Practice Nurturing
All children need to learn how to be kind and caring towards others and a pet is a great way for them to practice this skill. It’s expected to be loving and gentle towards pets by scratching their tummies and ears, feeding them regularly and making sure they are cared for.
Stress Reduction
Pets are not only calming, but also make kids laugh, reduce stress and provide a non-judgemental outlet for them to share their fears and worries. In fact, in one study, children consistently named their pets when asked who they’d talk to about a problem. Animals offer a unique emotional support, and are able to reduce negative feelings, especially as children feel unconditionally supported by them.
Teaching your child how to coexist safely and lovingly with nature and animals can help them develop self-control, learn about boundaries, develop empathy, and know more about their own self and preferences. It also means that your toddler will be less likely to have bad experiences when interacting with an animal that can defend itself
More so, it is known that spending time with animals and pets is good for both for the physical and psychological well-being of children, and is a great first step towards raising a nature-loving child.
So how does one go about raising empathy for animals amongst children. Here are a few steps that seem to have worked for me in raising my child that way –
- Focus on storytelling that shows the tender side of animals. Resist from making animals sound like blood thirsty dangerous creatures that need to be tamed.
- Find ways for children to interact with animals that live around you, like putting out a bowl of water for the birds on your terrace or balcony. Have a ‘squirrel restaurant’ where you leave nuts for them in a bowl.
- Encourage children to take ownership of animals around them. Give them the responsibility for playing with the family dog for 20 minutes a day or make them adopt a street dog by leaving dog friendly food for him regularly. This will help them build a bond where they will enjoy the reciprocation by the animal.
- Provide opportunity to children to champion one cause for animal welfare. Even better, do it with them as a family. Look for causes that they can relate to. For example, indiscriminate use of horses in the wedding season. Make them understand the conditions of the animal and how they can give it a voice, through art, essays, social media or just by organizing a local drive.
- As an adult, treat animals well yourself. We all know that children walk the path that parents / adults chose to walk on.
The rewards of just a few simple steps helps children develop kinder hearts and happier souls. And above all, our society and world become a better place to live in if children are raised to be empathetic and what better way to start than by learning to be empathetic to animals?
Here are some ideas on how to help your child to be kind towards animals:
- Books can be a good tool to show your kid different kinds of animals, so that they get comfortable around aquatic animals and winged, furry, or scaled ones too.
- Have a bird-feeder on your porch, window, or backyard.
- Show them how to kindly and safely touch a well-domesticated animal. You can start with modeling how to pet a cat or a dog using a stuffed animal. You can also play pretend and have you or your toddler be a puppy, and emphasize about gentleness and slow movements.
- Explain that animals have feelings and that they can be hurt by pulling and trampling, just as that behavior would hurt them.
- Discourage teasing an animal. Explain how it’s not nice to bother an animal that’s eating or napping, or to take away from them a loved toy. Animals dislike being treated rudely just as much as people do.
- Teach caution around unfamiliar animals. You can tell your child not to go near an animal (other than your house pet if you have one) without an adult around.
Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
Image-Courtesy-Google
Reference-On Request.
THERAPEUTIC VALUE OF PETS : BENEFITS & POWER OF ANIMAL INTERACTION
