How Kids View Animals
Researchers are aware of the connections kids have with animals. In this blog, I dig deeper into that.
Most parents have an occasion where they pile the kids into the car and off they go to the zoo. This is always a day full of fun and photos since kids just love to interact with creatures. Viewing the bigger animals creates amazement and awe. But the smaller ones in the children's petting zoo area garner a great deal of attention since now they can interact.
The reaction is because kids innately feel a connection to smaller animals. They feel protective and there is a fascination with something that is alive and yet so different from them. When this feeling they have for creatures is recognized and encouraged like with having pets or wildlife sittings when camping and other activities, kids learn to love and this is extended to include other people.
This is quite significant because it means kids who have pets and learn how to care for them will grow up to be people who are more engaged with others. They learn that living things have feelings and are more likely to behave like a caring individual when meeting others and becoming engaged with them. In other words, we will have adults who spread a positive message rather than having people who are more likely to offend easily and initiate negativity.
This is very encouraging for me to learn since I have always believed kids should interact with animals because they do teach us many things like about using our senses and getting along with others of their kind and even those who are not. Hopefully my e-books for kids using animals to teach will resonate with you too.