For many, no experience in life is greater and more blessed than raising a child. There is something inherently magical about witnessing the creation of a new life from nothingness and then being its guide as it transforms from a small, clumsy being into a full-fledged adult, and even an unplanned pregnancy can become something wonderful with the right support. Walking the path of a parent allows you to be the ultimate mentor for this new person, and no joy is greater than seeing it explore the world with your help.
Bear in mind, however, that raising children is one of the most demanding and responsible tasks one can imagine. Kids are not toys; they are sentient beings with the same capacity to feel, think and understand as any adult person. Even if you’re absolutely positive about having children, it might be prudent first to test your dedication with a smaller commitment.
Owning a pet is in many cases very similar to raising a small child, including waking up at night to feed it, having to clean after them, having to be constantly on guard, and even remembering to stick to a strict routine. Read on and learn why having a pet is a good preparatory course to having a small child one day!
You’ll Get Used to Feeling Responsible for Another Living Being
When you first get yourself a pet, it will need your constant attention. You’ll be the main source of food, water, and entertainment. Your pet will rely on you to play with it and keep it safe, just like a child would. Many people feel that having a pet is an easy task – you only have to feed it, right?
Wrong! This is why many people fail at having a pet. Sure, you should feed your pet and take this task with all seriousness. For example, if you have a dog, you cannot just buy any dog food for it. You have to choose the type that meets its breed requirements to provide it with a sufficient amount of nutrients to grow healthily. For instance, after reading The Top 6 Best Types of Dog Food for Dachshunds review, you’ll see that dog food should also be chosen according to your pet’s general lifestyle, age, and possible allergies and health conditions.
However, feeding your pet is just one thing – you must also train it, at least to some extent. Cats especially can be difficult to train and will require much patience from their owners. The same goes for dogs – even though dogs are easier to tame, they can still sometimes be a handful. This means that if you can handle a pet well, you’ll definitely be in good shape when it comes to raising children!
You’ll Get Used to Waking up at Night to Feed a Pet
If you can get used to waking up at night to feed your pet, you’ll know what to expect when having a child and be more prepared to do the same for a kid later on. Children, of course, require food and water throughout the day, but they’ll also need to be fed at night, as well as when they’re asleep.
By going through this process with your pet, you’ll be able to get used to your sleeping schedule being disturbed, meaning that you’ll be in a better position to handle the sleep deprivation that comes with having a baby.
You’ll Get Used to Cleaning up After Someone Else
Many people don’t realize how much effort is required to keep a house clean until it becomes their responsibility. Unless you’re a millionaire who owns a huge mansion with a servant, you’ll have to do some cleaning on your own on a regular basis. And even if you do have a maid or a cleaning service, there will still be some things that will fall upon you.
When you first get a dog or cat, you’ll probably find yourself cleaning up after it several times a day. You’ll learn all the tricks in the book – from how to get rid of tons of pet hair, stains, and slobber all around the house to keeping your pet away from garbage cans. After all this hard work, you’ll undoubtedly be more prepared to deal with all the mess children constantly make in the first couple of years of their lives.
You’ll Get Used to Making Plans and Sticking to Them
When you decide to get a pet, you must get used to planning your day around its needs. If you want your pet to be happy and content, you’ll have to stick to a strict schedule. You’ll have to take care of feeding the pet before going to work, taking care of its hygiene when you come back home, giving it exercise in the form of walks, playing with it, and so on.
Make Your Pet Safer
One of the key parts of being a parent is making sure you can make your life (and home) safer for your child. There are plenty of steps that you need to take to help you facilitate this, and it is vital to make sure you come up with some of the leading ideas that are going to help you make your pet’s life safer and more secure. Something like a shock collar for small dogs is one of the best ways of being able to make home life safer and more secure for your animal.
Getting into the process of taking care of your pet is a great way of setting you up in the right process for parenthood, and this is something you can achieve by trying different approaches out with your pet, as well as helping you to develop a parental bond in the right way.
You must do your best to stay consistent with this schedule because if your pet gets hungry or bored out of its mind, it will become unhappy and might start acting out. If you can do this for your pet, you’ll be doubly equipped to handle a child’s needs as well.
Having a pet can be a great way to prepare yourself for having children. Not only will you get some experience in taking care of another living being, but you’ll also learn how to handle the responsibilities that come with it. If you think that a pet is too much of an investment, you can still consider taking care of your friends’ pets or even volunteering for a local shelter.
Whatever your choice, these tips will surely help you prepare for parenthood. Just remember – while owning a pet is less demanding, it is never a smaller responsibility. After all, pets are your family too! Good luck!