Given the value of the movement for child development and previous research on how dogs might help, the authors thought that these same associations might be possible in early childhood.
How preschool-aged children benefited from dogs
Participants involved children from different socioeconomic backgrounds who attended ECEC centers in Perth, Australia.
Through questionnaires, parents reported on their children’s well-being in a few different areas: behavioral problems described how often children lost their temper, misbehaved, or fought with other children, explained Christian, who is also a researcher at the Telethon Kids Institute, the medical research institute behind the study.
Peer problems included how they got along with other children and whether they preferred to play alone. Prosocial behavior considered how much children were considerate of others’ feelings and helpful if someone was hurt, upset, or sick. The surveys also measured emotional symptoms, hyperactivity, and general difficulties.
Young children from dog-owning families were they were more likely to exhibit higher levels of prosocial behaviors and had lower overall difficulties. Children who walked a pet dog with their families at least one day a week and played with their dogs at least three times a week had higher prosocial scores than those who did so less frequently.
“These results highlight that even a small to moderate commitment to involving preschoolers in their time with the family dog can provide significant social and emotional benefits for young children,” the study said.
A current concern about children’s development and loneliness in the absence of friends and activities during the pandemic “fits in very well with the positive effects of dog ownership for young children,” said Dr. Jenny Radesky, assistant professor at pediatrics at the Center for Human Growth & Development at the University of Michigan, which was not involved in the study.
At preschool age, children’s front lobes are still developing, Radesky added. That means preschool-age children have not yet fully formed the ability to regulate behavior or control strong emotions and impulses, so people have commonly believed that young children would not benefit from owning a dog because they would not know how. interact with it.
“This was a good example of how, even in younger children, a dog can be a positive influence on their behavior,” he said.
Developing empathy skills
“You have to work to read what your dog thinks and respond to his behavior. That makes children come out of their headspace and think more about what another being thinks,” said Radesky. “That’s [the magical factor] of empathy and social reciprocity, that is, the exchange of relationships that helps us heal in times of stress. ”
Healthy development allows for human capacity, Christian said, “allowing children to reach maturity and participate in economic, social and civic life.”
Pets “can be social facilitators and help teach children about responsibility through the care, training and care of their pet,” he added.
What to know before having a dog
Because the researchers didn’t have much detail about family structures, it’s possible that the findings may represent families who were able to provide more nurturing environments for their children, according to the study. The value of owning a dog is an individual decision, Radesky said.
Additional studies measuring more diverse dynamics and family environments would give us more insight into how pets might drive children’s development.
Who knows if the same benefits could be found in your child’s interactions with the bearded pet dragon in the classroom he has been trapped with since schools closed in March?
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