Photo by Matheus Bertelli
Teaching children to be kind to animals is a valuable lesson in empathy, responsible behavior, and being a good human being.
An excellent way to determine a person’s true nature is to observe how they treat service workers, children, and animals. While this may not be a definitive test, it still provides valuable insight into a person’s character and values.
On another note, teaching children to exercise TLC to pets and animals should be an essential thing that parents normalize. After all, they will learn about responsibility and caring about something other than themselves.
Here are helpful tips we can share on teaching children to be kind to animals:
Educate About Animal Needs and Feelings
Start by teaching children about animals’ basic needs, such as food, water, shelter, and affection. Explain that animals have feelings, just like humans, and that they can experience pain, fear, and happiness. Discuss the different species of animals and their unique characteristics with them.
Learning about their needs and feelings helps them understand their behavior, even for a bit. Because, in the end, they’re not humans, yet they deserve to be understood, too. Every living creature has basic needs that should be met in their own unique ways.
Read Books and Watch Animal-Related Media
Read books highlighting stories of kindness towards animals and discussing the themes with children. Furthermore, watch age-appropriate movies or documentaries that depict positive relationships between humans and animals. Use these stories as opportunities to reinforce the values of empathy, compassion, and responsible behavior.
Several children’s books are in the right direction regarding kindness. Sarah Gourd is one of the authors who teaches children to be kind to animals. Her book Bing reveals how a simple kindness toward the helpless and the voiceless goes a long way. Furthermore, it can be great early exposure for children to exercise kindness and compassion.
Teach Proper Animal Handling
Teach children how to approach and handle animals safely. Explain that they should always ask for permission before touching someone else’s pet and approach unfamiliar animals cautiously. Teach them to let animals sniff or investigate them before attempting to pet them. Emphasize the importance of not physically hurting them and be mindful of an animal’s personal space.
Kids should be taught to interpret animal body language and behaviors. Explain that animals communicate through body postures, vocalizations, and facial expressions. Help children understand signs of fear, aggression, happiness, and contentment in animals. Moreover, this teaches children to respect animals’ boundaries and recognize when they are uncomfortable or scared.
Encourage Responsible Pet Ownership
If you have pets at home, involve the children in their care. Assign tasks such as feeding, grooming, and cleaning up after the pet. More importantly, they should be taught about the importance of regular exercise, veterinary visits, and providing a loving environment. These children should develop a bond with the family pet by spending quality time together and participating in activities like play sessions or walks.
On another note, being a responsible pet owner is so lost on some people these days. We see animals being neglected regularly, with their needs barely met. We should change that by teaching the next generation to be kind to animals. That always starts with responsible pet ownership at home. As parents and guardians, let them be aware of the reality of having pets while still allowing them to make decisions. Moreover, sanitary measures and pet-proofing should still be applied, too.
Teach Children to Be Kind to Animals in Daily Life
Teach children to extend kindness to animals in their everyday lives. Please encourage them to feed birds or squirrels, help injured or lost animals by contacting local animal rescue organizations, and avoid littering to protect wildlife habitats. Additionally, teaching children to be kind to animals should be expected in every family. More importantly, this is to help them become the best version of themselves and good human beings that their future selves will be proud of.
