Johnson — Lessons in caring for pets stays with kids

There can be something magical that takes place between animals and children and, as a general rule, they are fascinated with one another.

link Sharna Johnson

Perhaps it is because they share the same playful, loving spirits, or it might be their mutual disregard for boundaries and rules that make them so compatible.

In fact, in no other vein of life are animals so present than in the childhood years, with children surrounded from birth by animal toys, stuffed animals, books, bedroom décor and the like — they even wear things associated with critters, from funny hats and stuffed teddy bear backpacks, to fuzzy bunny slippers.

A proverbial chicken-egg issue, it may be hard to distinguish whether kiddos like critters because they are such a childhood component, or if the more likely scenario is that critters are integrated into childhood because there is a natural affinity.

Whichever way it comes to be, most children adore animals great and small, and a good number of animals reciprocate.

This known connection often leads parents to bestow their children with real, live pets of their own, and it begs to be mentioned it’s a scenario that often backfires.

It’s an age-old story — Mom and Dad give their youngin’ a puppy or other cuddly pet hoping to cultivate responsibility and give companionship. More sooner than later, the child loses interest or becomes busy with the complications of growing up — and all too often the pet is neglected, leaving the parents to pick up the slack.

There are also pets that don’t respond well to the love and adoration of overzealous children, which can lead not just to hurt feelings but serious injuries as well.

At the same time, however, there are many successful childhood pet stories that come complete with beautiful lasting memories, and many children do grow and learn rich lessons from caring for and having pets in their lives.

Case in point, a recent study found that caring for fish can help diabetic children manage their condition while teaching them responsibility at the same time.

Ages 10 to 17 and diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, participants in the study were split into two groups. One group was given money to buy a fish and fish food and told to feed the fish twice a day and to check and record their glucose levels after each feeding. Once a week, they were instructed to clean their fish’s bowl and look over their glucose logs with their parents.

Children in the second group were not given fish, but were told they would get a reward after the study.

At the end of three months, researchers found that children who cared for fish in conjunction with their diabetes management routine showed improved glucose control.

The children who did not have fish displayed worse glucose control, indicating a promised reward was not a strong enough motivator to change habits.

Particularly, children between the ages of 10 and 13 who cared for fish showed the most improvement, a dynamic researchers believe is tied to children in that age group having a desire to gain independence and become more self sufficient.

Teaching children to be responsible and establish healthy routines are some of the greater lessons they will learn. Not only are they lessons that will stay with them throughout their lives, in some situations those traits may even save their lives.

Interestingly enough, in helping children to properly care for animals and by creating an association of mutual health, the opportunity exists to teach children to care for those they love, and, ultimately themselves — toes, paws, fins, hooves and all.

Sharna Johnson is a writer who is always searching for ponies. You can reach her at: [email protected]