Like most families you probably have a family pet ( or two) that you now have to worry about balancing with your littles! Being gentle may not be on your toddlers radar either! Don’t worry we have your back!
With our ,now two year old, daughter it did not come naturally when trying to maintain the respect of both kid and pet but here are a few pointers that you can use and adjust to your families needs!
Disclaimer: Every animal has different temperaments (depending on breeds) as well as children(and their age). Make sure to go forth with extremely caution. All knowledge that is presented is just what has worked for our family so we wanted to share what has worked for us thus far.
Knowing the Animal
Whether you have a dog and/or a cat you probably could already guess their temperaments. If that is not the case already make sure to really spend time with your pet to see how rough or gentle you have to be with them in questionable situations like eating!
We have a chihuahua and two cats! Chihuahua are KNOWN for their fierce outlook on life. And our chihuahua breed only has mean bones in their body to begin with! As she had gotten older in her age she has seemed to calm down. That being said, when we started growing our family this was something we has to start very early with and take EXTREMELY seriously.
As much as it can be hard both child and pet need lots of understating and grace. They, both, are learning the ways of this world and need YOU to show them the needed guidance.
Showing your Little ones What being Gentle Looks Like
When it comes to wanting your child to do something in their life they need a trusted role model. Just as you would clean ,children watch you, and soon you will find they will soon follow . Same goes with respecting and being gentle with animals!
Gentle Consistency
Animals can get extremely territorial so its important to teach your child how to under stand body language!
When learning anything new and trying to maintain a goal it is extremely important to stay consistent!
We found a book that was basic enough for us to sneak a read in even during the busiest of days!
Here are a few good reads for when it comes to teaching kids how to be gentle with animals:
- Pat Them Gently
- Tails are Not for Pulling
- How to Care for your Dog
- A Kid’s Guide to Dogs
- How to Speak Dog
Now that you have that down its time to really hone down reading body language!
Body Smarts When it Comes to Being Gentle
Body language is an important skill to learn wether is within interactions with other people or animals!
For instance, our toddler is currently learning when animals are truly happy! For her a typical smile is enough for her to understand that someone is happy! But when it comes to our chihuahua growling she now has that confused with smiling! That is a BIG problem! So where do we go next when we have a problem like that occur? Back to the books!
Literally! Books are so rich and fulled with knowledge that help a ton! As well as videos! Here are some that could hopefully help you out when having to go back to square one!
Books & Gentle Exposure
So with some time and EXTREME consistency there will be a day that you won’t have to worry as much when it comes to running to the bathroom and wondering if your toddler is being gentle to the animals!
You’ve got this!
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