Animal love is not less than human love in general. Animals show people how love can be given to other living beings gratuitously. They are mute servants of God. Animals teach people primarily compassion, pity, the beauty of togetherness, conscience and most importantly responsibility. The biggest disadvantage of today's modern lifestyle, especially for people living in the city, is that the animal-human relationship is extremely limited. These creatures, deprived of their natural environment, have adapted to human living conditions over time and have become individuals in our homes. Now we can find a pet animal in every home.
For people who are individualised day by day, alienated in bilateral relationships and buried in digital screens, our saviour heroes are these loving pets.
Although the positive effects of pets on people's mental and physical health are known, many scientific studies have proven that these loving creatures have a much more positive effect on our children. The relationship between pets and children provides benefits in many areas, from the ability to empathise to the development of moral values.
But how healthy this relationship should be for children in the development of reason, willpower and decision-making!
When we talk about the right relationship, it is important that children do not just want their pet as a toy and do not objectify it and see it as an object that they can throw away whenever they want. A healthy animal-human relationship should be one in which the child learns responsibility for another living being that is not like them.
To explain moral development, feeding and loving the pet, not harming it and thinking about its well-being not only fosters the child's positive feelings towards animals, but also shows that he or she is valuable in the presence of others. It is clearly seen how animals such as dogs, especially those with a sense of loyalty, respond to the child as they show love and care. By realising that love is a reciprocal feeling, the child also discovers the virtue of love. In this way, they develop a more tolerant, sharing and understanding personality.
Pets also contribute positively to the social and emotional development of young children. Spending time with animals helps children establish emotional bonds and provides them with a supportive environment. At the same time, animals help children develop a sense of responsibility. Tasks such as feeding them regularly, cleaning them and checking their health teach children to take responsibility and make them feel that they have an important role in meeting the needs of others.
Pets also help our children cope with stress. Spending time with animals allows the younger age group to experience a sense of relaxation and reduces stress. This helps children to achieve emotional balance and cope with difficulties
Animal Love in Children Does Not Create a Risky Situation
As we all know, young children have an innate interest in animals and are incredibly compassionate and curious. Many animals are also interestingly different and mild-tempered towards children, they do not hurt children even if they are hurt.
Children are not infected with any disease from animals under veterinary control, which are vaccinated and routinely cared for, which is the biggest fear of parents. The risk of parasite and bacteria transmission from fruits and vegetables eaten without washing well is much higher than the risk of transmission from animals to humans. In today's urban environment, while our children grow asocial among concrete buildings, away from their natural environment, let's not push our children away from animals with unnecessary fears, on the contrary, let them communicate.