Children who live with a cat or dog in their early years
more likely to be involved than boys
in baby care, both inside and outside
experience a lower incidence of hay fever and asthma and the home, but when it comes to pet
care, both genders remain equally
are less likely to develop animal-related allergies.
involved.
— Dr. Dennis Ownby, allergist, based on a Medical College of Georgia study
Pets Help Keep Kids
Healthy
Ph.D., education professor at Indiana beings develop the ability to care for
According to a study by Dr. Dennis
University of Pennsylvania and others. “Nurturing isn’t a quality that
Ownby, a pediatrician and head
author of The World of Children and suddenly appears in adulthood when
of the allergy and immunology
Their Companion Animals, have we need it,” she observes. “You don’t
department of the Medical College of
long known that bringing therapy learn to nurture, because you were
Georgia, having multiple pets actually
animals (mostly dogs) into schools nurtured as a child. People need a
decreases a child’s risk of developing
helps developmentally challenged way to practice being caregivers when certain allergies. His research tracked
kids learn. Now they are fi nding that they’re young.” a group of 474 babies from birth
all children can benefi t from the In most of the modern world, to about age 7. He found that the
presence of a nonjudgmental pal with there’s little opportunity for kids to children who were exposed to two
paws.
provide for other living things aside
or more dogs or cats as babies were
In one of Jalongo’s studies, children
from pets. “In many other countries,
less than half as likely to develop
were asked to read in front of a peer,
siblings look after one another, common allergies as kids who had
an adult and a dog. Researchers
but in the United States that’s not no pets in the home. Children with
monitored their stress levels and
culturally acceptable,” Melson says. animals had fewer positive skin tests
found that kids were most relaxed
“It’s actually illegal in many states to
around the animal, not the humans.
leave kids in the care of anyone who
“If you’re struggling to read and
is under 16 years of age.”
someone says, ‘Time to pick up your
So, how are the seeds of good
book and work,’ that’s not a very
parenting skills planted during
attractive offer,” Jalongo says. “Curling
childhood? Melson believes one way
up with a dog or cat, on the other
is through pets. In her research, she
hand, is a lot more appealing.”
tracked how much time kids over
age 3 spent actively caring for family
Pets Provide Comfort animals, versus caring for or even
In another Jalongo-led study, children
playing with younger siblings. Over a
were asked what advice they would
24-hour period, pet guardians spent
give less-popular kids for making
10.3 minutes in caregiving; those with
friends. The top answer didn’t focus
younger sibs spent only 2.4 minutes.
on a cool toy or must-have sneakers.
“Nurturing animals is especially
It was: Get a pet. Whether a hamster
important for boys, because taking
or a horse, Jalongo notes, an animal
care of an animal isn’t seen as a ‘girl’
gives a child something to talk about
thing, like babysitting, playing house
and a shared interest with other kids. or playing with dolls,” Melson says.
Animals are also a great source By age 8, girls are
of comfort. Melson asked a group of
5-year-old pet owners what they did
when they felt sad, angry or afraid
or when they had a secret to share.
More than 40 percent spontaneously
mentioned turning to their pets. She
remarks that, “Kids who get support
from their animal companions were
rated by their parents as less anxious
and withdrawn.”
Pets Encourage Nurturing
Melson began studying the impact
of pets in order to learn how human
www.MyNaturalAwakenings.com
March 2009 23
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