Toddlers tormenting pets - not in a bad but cute and cuddly way - is hilarious...and scary. It's funny because neither baby nor animal understand the meaning of being gentle, and your pet is torn between fleeing, fighting back, or simply put up with it.
Our daughter loves animals as I am sure most kids do. We have a cat named Phoebe that loves attention, and both our daughter and cat exhibit such enthusiasm when playing together, but trying to explain to a toddler that you have to be gentle because you can't pull their tail or pick up a cat or dog when you're half its size is a task in itself. And while parents should always have an eye on their children around pets, it's necessary to guide your child into learning the appropriate motor skills and reasoning to be gentle and controlling forceful touch. Here are some examples I have used and learned in teaching children to be gentle:
- Use gentle touch when correcting. By demonstrating how to nicely pet or touch the animal, children are likelier to mimic this behavior.
- Demonstration is key, and can be used on the child. Caress your child's face or hand so they realize what soft or gentle touch feels like.
- Using gentle words like please, excuse me, or I am sorry, and speaking in a soft tone sends a good message. Also encourage them when they are being gentle by affirming the behavior. Say "Nice job" or "Thank you for being so gentle."
- Reading picture books that convey this message or demonstrating on stuffed toys and animals.
- Directing their hands by placing them on the animal and applying the right pressure to show them exactly how the pet likes to be snuggled, pet, and loved.
It is important to help children make right choices by teaching at a young age how to interact nicely and gentle. One of the first steps can be through their interaction with pets, because there's no greater love than the love from parents and pets.
-Leslie Osmond
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