by Kasandra Kessell

Created on: January 17, 2009   Last Updated: November 04, 2009

Having a childhood pet can lead to some of the fondest memories in one's life, but in most cases children don't usually think about what it actually means to care of one. Teaching a child how to care for an animal also teaches responsibility and can be a very rewarding experience for both of you.

Here are five easy steps to show you how:

1. Start by discussing the things that your pet will need everyday such as feeding, walking, potty breaks and attention. This helps them to understand that animals need things just like we do and that someone has to give it to them.

2. Talk about how you will need to keep your pet and their dwelling clean. Certain animals only need to be bathed periodically, but caged or aquarium animals need to have their areas cleaned frequently.

3. Compromise on duties, giving your child the most age appropriate ones. If they feed and pick up after your pet, then maybe you can do the walking and potty breaks. Bathing and cage cleaning would be difficult tasks for younger children, but they can always help.

4. Make a schedule and put it somewhere that your child will see it often. As we all know, children need a little reminding every now and then. Try very hard to stick to this schedule because the more a child becomes accustomed to doing something, the chances are greater that they will do it without being asked.

5. Teach your child how to be gentle with handling or petting an animal. Let them know that pets get hurt and have feelings just like we do.

Finally, give praise to your child on doing such a good job of taking care of their pet. It will make him or her feel good to be appreciated and inspire them to continue.

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