Whether you have a pet already or you have a teenager who is begging to have a dog, cat, bird or small animal of their own, ensuring your child or teenager remains responsible for their furry friend isn’t always easy. However, there are many things you can do as a parent or guardian to ensure your teen remains accountable for their pet friend without feeling like you’re the nagging parent.
Some of them include:
Set reasonable expectations
Your teen is a person too, and they will have emotions and feelings, including fatigue and stress. Setting reasonable expectations for them, is, therefore, critical for ensuring they don’t skip out on the pet’s chores. Try sharing the load, for example. You may feed the pet and clean up after them, but it may remain the responsibility of your teen to take them for a walk. If they have siblings, you can also share the load between them to ensure everyone is left with a reasonable and manageable load on top of their regular schedules.
Educate them
Pets are more complicated than just a four-legged household member. They require detailed care and attention to guarantee they receive enriching lives. Phrasing this to your teens can make them more likely to carry out the chores on their to-do lists. For example, educate them on what would happen if a dog didn’t receive its walks or a cat didn’t receive frequent flea treatment.
Though these conversations can be sensitive, they are honest, which is critical for helping create a household founded on understanding and good intentions for your pet.
Positive reinforcement
Even older teens can benefit from positive reinforcement. Try making positive comments based on the actions your teen has been carrying out. For example, if they’re feeding the cat regularly, comment on how their bond has grown in the last few months. This can build a positive mindset within your teen that the tedious chores they are carrying out are having favourable impacts.
Before long, you’ll find that you may not even need to ask your teen to carry out the chores; they’ll jump on them all by themselves.
Involve them in decision-making
Teens want to be heard as much as the next person. So, let them be. Ask them to make decisions for the life of your pet. For example, what food should you get from the PetNest range, which colour harness should you buy, or where to place the litter box?
It may seem like a small decision, but giving them this autonomy over their pet’s care routine will make them feel all the more inclined to participate in it down the track.
Choose PetNest for the best pet products Hoping to put our final recommendation into action immediately? Head online to PetNest now to discover a range of quality products at affordable prices. From food to bedding and everything in between, we have what you need to light up your pet’s day.
