Pets are Beneficial for Your Children!

  Every child needs the responsibility of loving and being loved by a pet. Having the daily job of feeding, grooming, and playing with a dog or cat teaches them to care for others. This is not a one way street. Pets love their owners and will return the care and love many times.

  "Caring and being responsible for someone else is a big mind leap for a child. Sure they love Mom and Dad. They love their siblings. But those beings are taking care of them. The daily routine of feeding, watering, and loving their pet teaches them  about reaching out to others. Having a companion who is always there to love them back helps a child to calm themselves when life gets unfair in their estimation." Yes, I have said this before but it bears repeating!

  When a child experiences the unconditional love that a pet offers it helps them to stabilize in a world that sometimes seems to be crazy. With all of the recent tragedies on the news they are going to feel insecure at times. When comfort dogs were introduced to some of the victims of those tragedies the victims immediately became calmer.

  We have always had multiple pets in the home. My youngest son had a tom cat which would stand guard over him when he was sleeping. No waking that child up! My daughter had cats, dogs and even mice for awhile. Today she has 4 horses, 4 cats, 2 dogs, and 2 ferrets. Our home also has 2 cats and one very large dog. I can not imagine a home with out a  loving pet. They offer comfort when you are upset and offer to play when you are bored. They understand our moods and do whatever they can to help.
 
  For a child who is homeschooling they may be the friend they need. Someone they can talk to who will not judge them. Someone who will just be there when they want someone to understand.
 

What hole do your children fit into?

  Square, round, triangle, hexagon or octagon, what hole do your children fit into? Children trapped in the public school system are forced to fit into whatever size and shape hole the teacher is directing them to. I have never fit into any of societies categories. I know that my children only occasionally fit into them and do not have any desire to follow the norm. Now that my children have all reached adult hood they are self sustaining valuable members of society. They earn their own livings. They pay their own bills. They volunteer to help others. All of the things that are the expected activities of being adults. However, they all walk their own paths of beliefs. They all refuse to be dictated to by anyone who thinks that they are in a position to make personal judgements for them.
  When we home school our children we give them the ability to fit into any hole they want to. They are not forced to view history in the way the public school systems want them to but can explore the events and come to their own opinions. They can branch out into sciences that interest them. They are able to explore all of the subjects that excited their interests. The most important thing is that they learn to learn!
  The independent attitude that they create for themselves is what made our country great. Children that are educated in a home school consistently out rank their public school counterparts on all levels of the SAT! They are free of the problems so visible in the public school systems. Such as: bullying, predator teachers, and gang violence.
  We, as parents and grandparents, need to be vigilant to the erosion to the right to educate our children in the way that we want to! We need to not only be active participants in their learning but also in the legislation being enacted that might infringe on those rights!