Science of Parenting: Positive impacts of pets on kids

Experts say a child’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive development can all be encouraged by interaction with the family pet. 

Having a pet helps kids improve their motor skills and increases overall activity. In fact, a 2010 study showed that kids in Europe who had a dog exercised on average 11 minutes more a day than other children who didn’t have a dog. In addition, a 2012 study by the American Academy of Paediatrics found that children with early contact with cats and dogs are healthier and have fewer respiratory infections and ear infections and needed a shorter course of antibiotics than those without contact with pets. 

For children, pets can be a wonderful catalyst for socialising. Children are more prone to approach and interact with another child who is playing with an animal, so a pet can be the bridge between a less socially outgoing child and other potential playmates. “Pet ownership appears to be a significant factor for facilitating social interaction and friendship formation within neighbourhoods,” Dr Lisa Wood, associate professor at the University of Western Australia, wrote in her recent study via Harvard Health Publications. 

According to the Pet Health Council (head-quartered in UK), kids who have pets have higher self-esteem. “Children with low-self-esteem may talk to, or confide in, an animal in ways they would not with people,” the PHC reports. “They are often more confident in performing tasks they find difficult with an animal simply because the animal does not care if mistakes are made.” 

A study done on second-graders across Asia showed that the ones who read aloud to a dog made bigger strides in their reading ability than their peers who read out loud to an adult — possibly due to the dog’s ability to help reduce a child’s stress and the fact that a dog provides non-judgemental support. Having a pet might also encourage a child to learn more about animals in general and in turn foster an appreciation for research and science.