How Pets Reduced the Stress and Loneliness of Lockdown Children

Relationship between pets and children

Friday, 13th August 2021

Family pets can help children cope with feelings of stress and loneliness. According to a new survey, which has been greatly exacerbated by virtual schooling as a result of the pandemic. According to UNICEF, at least one in every seven children — or 332 million worldwide — has been subjected to nationwide stay-at-home policies for at least nine months since the Covid-19 pandemic began, putting their mental health and well-being at risk.

According to a Mars Petcare survey of parents, more than eight in ten found that their family pet made their child feel less lonely during lockdown, with more than three-quarters believing that day-to-day interactions with their cat or dog reduced their child's stress and anxiety. Parents agreed that their pet improved their child's mood, provided companionship, and provided much-needed emotional support during the unprecedented break from in-person schooling.Pets have provided crucial support to children in many families navigating the stress and challenges of homeschooling.

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The survey also discovered that pets improved a child's virtual learning experience. and academic performance at all ages — with nine out of ten parents reporting improvements in their child's emotional, social, and core skill development, such as having more energy and improved concentration, providing a fun topic of conversation to engage with their classmates and teachers, and providing a much-needed break away from the screen.

"There are proven benefits to having pets in the classroom when it comes to improving children's confidence, focus, and reducing stress, but this survey shows that pets also played an important role in helping children emotionally as they come to terms with this unprecedented time away from their peers," says Mary Margaret Callahan of Pet Partners, a leading therapy animal organisation.

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This stronger bond between children and their pets has numerous advantages for the pet as well. Three-fourths of respondents said their pet is calmer now that they spend more time with their child.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source

News18