Today is National Pet Day! A day to appreciate the role that pets play in our lives.
Whether you already love and care for pets in your setting, or are considering getting one, it is important to understand their Pawsitive Power on children:
🐾Social and Emotional Development
Helping to care for a pet can help to boost self-esteem and confidence, give a sense of responsibility and allow trusting relationships to be formed.
🐾Keeping Active
Pets can provide lots of opportunity for physical activity from crawling together to going for a walk or simply through play and interaction.
🐾Communication Skills
Babies and children can learn new words and nonverbal cues simply by observing you talk to and interact with a pet. Children may also enjoy reading to a pet or involving them in role play games, providing further opportunity to practice language.
🐾Sensory Experience
From the feel of their fur and their distinctive smell to the noises they make and watching their movements, pets open up a whole new sensory world.
🐾Understanding the World
Being around pets provides opportunities to learn about living creatures including topics like birth, health, and getting older.
🐾Respect and Responsibility
Through caring for a pet children develop a respect for living things and learn what it means to be responsible.
Follow the links below to learn more about the benefits of having a pet for a child’s development:
How Your Child Can Benefit From Having a Pet
Pet Policy and Risk Assessment
If you already have or are considering taking on a pet in your setting, you must assess any addtional risks and set clear rules and boundaries to ensure safety and good hygiene.
Find a Pet Risk Assessment template included in the Risk Assessments Pack and a Pet Policy example within the Policies & Procedures Pack.
Edit as you require to suit YOUR Pet, setting and circumstances!
👉Visit our Setting Management section for more resources to help you to manage and organise your professional childcare service.
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