Parenta Magazine April 2020

The benefits of
animals for children’s
development
There’s no doubt that the UK is a nation of animal lovers! You only have to look around
at the number of us who co-habit with pets of every shape and size, the predominance
of pet shops, and the amount we spend on our pets each year, which currently runs into
the tens of billions of pounds. Pets are big business, but we rarely count their worth in
money. In fact, most of us have admitted we would rather reduce spending on ourselves
than our pets, because our pets can melt the heart of even the toughest cynic, remind us
of our humanity, our unity and our underlying need for unconditional love.
Perceived benefits
Animals have anecdotally been
reported as being of benefit to children
by parents, teachers and childcare
professionals for a number of years.
The Some of the benefits reported include: of it is an animals essential one, especially if dealt for children’s
Improving confidence and learning
development
about unconditional love – pets
do not judge children with any moral
compass; they simply give love and
affection regardless of the child’s
mood or recent behaviour (provided no
negative behaviour has been directed
towards the animal). Children often find
animals comforting if they are feeling
sad or low as the pet is always there to
‘listen to’ and ‘accept’ problems, when
adults may not be.
Teaching empathy and respect –
animals need to be treated with love,
empathy and respect, just like humans.
And whilst they may enjoy a cuddle
sometimes, at others, they may need
space, feeding, grooming or walking.
Children can learn to be empathetic
to the needs of the animal and to
recognise these needs without using
words. This is an excellent skill to have
in dealing with humans who may not
be able to express emotions too well
themselves.
Understanding the circle of life
– watching a pet be born, grow up,
reproduce and eventually die, helps
children learn about life and death. It
may be a difficult lesson for most, but
with in a sensitive manner by the adults
around them. It may be a cat or dog,
hamster, fish or worm; the process of
grieving and learning that ‘life goes on’
and memories will remain, is one that
we all need to learn at some point.
Learning to appreciate nature
and the natural world – by
observing animals, children can get
an understanding and develop an
appreciation for the natural world
around them. They can observe
different animal lifecycles and learn
about reproduction by watching a
caterpillar turn into a butterfly or seeing
the lambs being born at a local farm.
With the right encouragement, it can
also lead to an interest in the natural
world and an appreciation for all forms
of life on earth.
Teaching responsibility – although
most animal species have been
around on the planet a lot longer than
humans, and as such, are very selfsufficient,
the ones we have spent time
domesticating, or those we keep in
captivity, need our help to survive. This
means they need feeding, cleaning out
and exercising regularly, depending on
the animal. This is a great way to teach
children about looking after others and
although no pet should be the sole
responsibility of a child, they can learn
to take on certain responsibilities (such
as feeding or refilling water bottles)
with the aid of a supervising adult.
Helping with communication –
we might not all be Dr Doolittle, but
animals can still be useful in helping
children communicate. Dogs are
currently used in schools to help boost
the confidence of children learning to
read. The children read aloud to a dog,
who listens without judgement and
the children learn to feel calmer whilst
reading. The very presence of animals
can help children to start to speak as
they learn to communicate with another
living being.
Scientifically-researched benefits
As well as anecdotal reports, there
have also been a number of scientific
studies confirming some measurable
benefits in children. Pets have been
shown to 1,2 :
• help lower blood pressure
• reduce stress and anxiety
• make recovery times shorter
• improve social interactions
• improve self-worth
• reduce loneliness and depression
In children with autism spectrum
disorder (ASD), researchers found the
children demonstrated more social
behaviours and received more social
approaches from their peers when
animals were present, compared to
when toys were present. 3
What you need to consider
Bringing animals into your setting either
as pets or with occasional visitors can
have many benefits, but also requires
careful planning and the safety of all
children and adults is paramount.
Therefore, before you consider bringing
animals in, ensure that you have
thought everything through, have
the approval of parents, staff and
governors and have suitable policies,
risk-assessments and insurances in
place. Remember to consider any
allergies that children and staff may
have, costs such as food costs or vet
bills, and if bringing in a class pet
such as a fish or hamster, determine
who is going to look after it during the
weekends and holidays.
Ways to introduce more animals
into setting
Here are some ways you can
introduce more animals, without
breaking the bank.
• Visit a local farm or petting zoo
– this can be an easy way to get
children to pet animals and
discover more about the natural
world
• Incubate some fertilised chicken
eggs and raise some chicks
• Order a butterfly nursery and teach
the children about their lifecycle
• Set up a fish tank – this can offer
sensory and visual stimulation too
• Introduce some rabbits and/or
guinea pigs but ensure they can be
properly looked after
• Start a worm farm – another great
way to introduce children to natural
science
• Feed the birds/local wildlife – set
up some feeding/watering stations
to welcome some British wildlife to
your garden
• Go on a bug or mini-beast hunt –
you can do this in your outside
space or at a local park
However you choose to introduce more
animal interactions in your setting, we’d
love to hear from you and see your
pictures. Please email us at marketing@
parenta.com.
References
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pubmed/3236382
2. https://habri.org/research/child-healthdevelopment/
3. https://www.relias.com/blog/animalassisted-therapy-for-autism
36 April 2020 | parenta.com
parenta.com | April 2020 37