Today Logan and I embarked on a great adventure. While this adventure was more for fun, it is definitely one of those teaching moments you never want to pass up. This afternoon I made the crazy decision to take my son to the pet store. Like any four year old, Logan wanted to bring the entire store home with us—the cats, the dogs, the birds, the guinea pigs, the mice, the fish, the turtles, the frogs, the snakes, he wanted them all. Seeing as for the time being we are still living with Grandma anything with fur was out of the question and mommy was not bringing a snake home to this house, so we came home with a tiny little frog, who Logan promptly named Copper.
Of course we had to get all the trimmings. He would need a little tank, some water conditioner, and some food among other things. As a single mom, making very little money, we went for anything cheap. Logan was thrilled about bringing his new little friend home, but the best part of it was having this great little teaching tool in front of me.
Before getting Copper, Logan knew that Copper was his responsibility. He would have to remember to feed him every morning and night. He would have to help put his little tank together, and he would have to help clean it whenever it got dirty. With Logan being only four I knew that I would have to help with many things regarding our new friend. You can’t expect them to do more than they are able. As children, they are going to need help from you as a parent, but let them do what they are capable of, and then step in to assist as needed. Letting your child have a pet is a great way to start teaching responsibility from a young age. Start with something small that is relatively low maintenance. The pet store can help you know what would best suit your needs and can help guide you in the right direction for you and your child.
Seeing the excitement in Logan’s eyes when we brought Copper home was priceless; the teaching moment was just a bonus.