Here is an interesting and tried-and-tested outcome of child development under different home and environment conditions from collabforchildren.org. This one’s an interesting take on the impact of parenting:

- If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
- If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
- If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
- If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
- If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
- If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.
- If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
- If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
- If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
- If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
- If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world.

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If your child loves animals you may have more than one pet in your home.  If your child REALLY loves animals, you’ve probably had your share of stray animals making their way into your home.  It could be that you’ve had one too many strays become pets, so how do you say “No” to the stray animals your child brings home?

Chances are you already have at least one pet, if not a few more.  If you’ve always said “yes” when your child brings home strays, it may be difficult to say “no” now.  Here are some ideas to help you say no and mean it.

Start by setting some rules for when a stray animal comes to your home:

1.  Always handle an unfamiliar animal carefully.  They may bite if they’re scared or hurt.  Call the local animal control people to come and get it.

2.  All stray animals must be kept outside until a decision is made about them.  You have no idea if the animal is feral or if it has wandered from home.

3.  Every effort will be made to find a stray animal’s original home.  Check for a license or ID tag with a telephone number on it.  If a tag isn’t evident, you will have to check its body.  They may have a tattoo inside the ear, on its gums, or the inner skin of the back legs.

4.  It would be best to turn the animal in at the local shelter.  The owner may be looking for it.

5.  Make flyers with a picture of the animal and a description of it to place around town if you decide to keep the animal at home.  Put contact information on the flyer so the owner can retrieve their pet.

If no one claims the animal you can either take it to a shelter or keep it.  Your child will most likely ask to keep it, even more so if they can’t find an owner.  Now what?

Don’t make a decision immediately.  Tell your child that you need to discuss it with your spouse before a decision is made.  Take time to discuss the prospects of adding a new “member” to the family.  Who will take care of it?  Where will it sleep?  Who will clean up after it?  Can you actually afford another animal?

Suggest to your child that if they want to keep this animal, they have to let one of the other pets go.  While this may seem harsh, it will make your child seriously look at the pet and whether they want it.  If they agree to give away another pet, you may have to take it a step further.

Next ask them if they’d be willing to pay for the veterinarian bills and food for the animal.  If having the animal will cost them something personally they may decide they don’t want to keep it.  However, you may be surprised.

Parents don’t like telling their child “no” but sometimes it is necessary.  In this case you’re not really saying “no” to your child, but to the animal.  After you’ve told them they can’t keep the animal, stick to your guns and don’t back down on your decision.

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Children and pets seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. Sometimes they grow up together, but normally there’s a special bond between them that’s similar to what a child feels for their parent or grandparents. When a pet dies, it’s important to realize that your child is in pain. Here are some things you can do when your child loses their best friend.

* Children need to understand that most animals have a shorter lifespan than humans. It’s important when your child gets a pet to teach them as much as you can about that type of animal, including what their average lifespan is. When the inevitable day comes, you can remind your child that their pet lived a long and happy life because they were a part of your child’s life.

* Let your child know that their pet’s death is not their fault. Reassure your child that they were not responsible for the death, that the animal was older and its heart stopped beating. There wasn’t anything they could have done to change matters.

* When a loved person dies we honor them with a funeral. It might be a good idea to have something similar for much-loved pet. Have your family gather together and remember the good things about the pet. Let the child plan the service to commemorate their pet how they think is best.

* Put together a photo album with various pictures of your child’s pet. This will give them something to look at to help them remember their pet when they start missing it. Your child may even want to write a short story or poem to include in their photo album to express how they felt about their animal.

* Make a special gift to help other animals, such as a gift to the ASPCA in the name of your pet. By doing this, your child can feel good about doing something that will help other animals find loving homes to live in.

* Allow your child time to grieve. Don’t tell them that it’s silly to cry, in fact be honest about how you feel about the loss. It will help your child learn to grieve if they see you do it, too.

* Encourage them to talk about how they feel. Tell them it’s OK if they don’t want to talk about it right after the pet dies, but that you’re available to listen if they do want to talk.

* Wait until your child has had a chance to grieve before buying them a new pet. A new pet can’t replace their old one, but it may help ease the pain somewhat. Again, teach your child about the pet and how long it is expected to live. They may have to go through the process of losing a pet again, but there is a lot of love they can enjoy in the meantime.

Losing a pet is never easy because they give us so much unconditional love. How children react to the death of a pet will help them deal with the death of a human loved one in the future. These tips for helping your child when they lose their best friend may give you the information you need to make the process easier for them.

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