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Do you have kids? How about pets? Are you expecting a new addition to your family soon? Many of our blog readers and customers have families. We do too! We have three teenagers and we an adorable dog named Henry: you might have visited our office and met him.
During the pandemic, many families adopted new pets as they had more time to spend at home! Having a new family pet brings joy and laughter, but also new responsibility and safety and security hazards.
While we as adults can certainly have accidents at home, we generally know how to keep ourselves safe and secure. It’s a little different for kids and pets: they love to explore new things, and by nature, are curious about the world around them. It’s even more important to set some safety rules and guidelines when you have both kids and pets!
In honor of National Kids and Pets Day on April 26, 2021, we present this article with tips to keep your kids and pets safe at home.
From National Day Calendar:
“National Kids and Pets Day on April 26th raises awareness of the importance of picking the right pet for children at the right time. It’s an important decision that can lead to a lifetime of bonding between pet and child.
The day also celebrates the bonds children and pets can share and a day remember safety where our pets and children are concerned. There are many benefits of having a pet in a child’s life. From fostering natural nurturing abilities to developing responsibilities, pets have a lifelong impact on a child’s development.
It is also important to remember that small children as well as the pets may not know their limitations and should not be left alone with each other. They should always be supervised to prevent injury to both the child and the animal.”
This includes indoor as well as outdoor play time! Kids and pets needs to have an adult nearby to supervise their playtime and while it’s tempting to leave the room to take care of chores, don’t. Pets are unpredictable and they can get triggered by your child’s behavior. Take your child with you when moving from room to room, or separate the child and animal (crate or gate, or even closed room) when you are not able to supervise.
Outdoors, always supervise around pools, and in the yard!
A pet needs to feel safe and secure and when their sleep, feeding time or playtime is interrupted, they can get annoyed, or even aggressive. To avoid this happening, teach your child to leave the pet alone during these activities.
Cat litter boxes look like fun sandboxes to young children. Cat’s waste carries disease and you do not want your child to play with the cat’s waste. At the same time, a dog carries diseases as well: teach a child the proper way to dispose of a dog’s poop.
While you may play games with your dog or cat that can be labeled ‘roughhousing’, don’t allow your child to play those same games. It is most likely that you as the adult in the home are the alpha. A dog or cat will accept certain dominant behavior from you, the alpha, but not from a child that is smaller. To avoid this happening, avoid playing these types of games in front of the children, as they often emulate what they see! Games to avoid include tug-of-war, picking up the pet and spraying it with a hose.
It’s hard not to mention dog bites when we talk about kids, pets and safety. Prevention is so very important and that is why supervision of kids and pets at all times is THE MOST important rule to stick to!
Here are some crazy statistic to wrap you head around.
Installing security cameras is one way to help the adults in your home keep an eye on kids and pets, but it should not replace in-person supervision.
Teaching children the right to play and care for a pet is another important safety measure.
We love our children and we love our pets. We know you do too! Stay safe and secure in your own home at all times!