Why is it good to have a pet? By Natalie Earl

Many parents do not get pets for their child(ren) for different reasons, the most common reason they deny their child(ren) pets in my opinion is because the pet is a lot of responsibility. Animals are my favorite so I would like to argue why it is in fact a good idea to get your child(ren) pets. The most important lesson I would say to teach your kids is to be responsible and having a pet will teach your child(ren) that easily. When it comes to pets you must feed them, bathe them, give them water, take them outside, and those are only the basic responsibilities to come. Pets can also comfort your child(ren) if they need a friend around, it may allow them to be more active by playing around with the pet (only if the pet is not a fish most likely). Pets tend to relieve you of stress, especially dogs they are supposed to give a sense of security for the family. It is also possible to improve the child's reading skills by reading to the pet because all they do is listen and they cannot judge. When I was younger in second grade I went through a program at school where I would read to dogs and it helped me perform better in school. Pets can be a lot of responsibility but they have many positive affects on a family and I know from personal experience that my animals bring my family closer together.