Today’s Parenting Tip:

DECIDE:   It is important that pets fit well into the family.

PRACTICE:   Talk to your child about how important it is that a pet fits in with the family.

Make a selection of dog, cat, fish, etc. that you might consider owning someday. Then, use the Internet and books to check out the different breeds or species for that type of animal.

Select a few examples that appeal to you and write down how that breed or species acts. Talk together about whether that animal would fit with your family.

If you already own a pet, check out that breed or species in books and on the Internet. Write down how your pet acts and talk about whether that is like what you read. If not, use this as an opportunity to talk about how everything we read is not necessarily a true fact.

Talk about whether your pet fits well into your family. If you come up with problems discuss how you can adjust to the pet and how you can train the pet to fit better with the family.

Today’s Decide and Practice daily parenting tip was inspired by our featured picture book, PICK A PUP.  Read the book to a child in your life each day as a reminder of what you are deciding and practicing that day.

Come back each day for another good parenting decision and how to practice it. (Each day’s activity will also be posted on the Daily Parenting Tips page for easy access.)

Read the whole story at Kids and Pets: The Basics.