We have increasingly become more distant from our animal friends. Many children have no idea what the proper rules regarding animals are. Some approach strange animals with reckless abandon, while others shrink away in terror at the mere sight of one. What should you teach your child about animals and when should you start?

The answer is to start at an early age and ease into more complicated situations gradually. The ideal time to begin is when a child first starts to notice movement and begins to recognize familiar sights. This is a good time to start pointing out animals and their names. Examples of opportunities are to point out birds and lizards at the park, or butterflies and bees in the backyard. These good beginnings will include having the child listen and look from a distance.

Next, you can visit pet stores, zoos, and animal related places to point out animals in a controlled setting. It is not a good idea to teach a child to reach out for an animal. Many kids get injured because they take the liberty of approaching a strange animal and instigating contact. Petting zoos are not always ideal unless you work without food and make sure the child is not intimidated or run over by the animals housed in one.

Teaching a child to observe an animal and watch it is great. This is a good opportunity to teach them to understand animal behavior too. You should begin to include reading realistic stories about the animals around them. Educate them about farm animals, insects, birds, reptiles, common pets, and other animals. Make sure you include information about how important animal roles are in our lives.

For example, snakes are natural rodent population controllers. This helps prevent invasions into our homes and keeps disease and contamination down. Insects help to clear up debris and decay and also pollinate flowers and fruit trees. Birds and bats help to control insect populations. There are a wide variety of things you can teach from each type of animal group surrounding you.

There are also television networks and channels that only focus on animals. These are available to many of us and can be good entertainment and teaching tools. Remember that the best learning is live observation, but this media opportunity can bring other animal issues and related environments into the home where they might not be accessible otherwise.

You may want to use some time to move forward into limited contact with animals. First make sure you teach the child to be gentle. You can do this by teaching stroking techniques using humans and stuffed animals as the role models. Once you have taught a child to be gentle, you can graduate into some controlled contact situations. Therapy animals or science center programs that many schools participate in are good starts. The animals are gentle and familiar, and the programs are well monitored.

Make sure you teach a child that it is wrong to chase or hit an animal before you start any contact. Also point out that screaming and pulling is not appropriate. Young children will sometimes not be able to help themselves, but if you start sharing these concepts at a young age, the seeds of good animal etiquette will be planted. Tutoring children not to approach a strange animal and what to do if they are unsure about an animal is important too.

Don’t expect young children to be able to care for or be totally responsible for an animal either. Their attention span is limited and although they may show enthusiasm for a pet in the beginning, many times this is short lived. Having them assist you with an animal as part of their daily chores teaches responsibility and caring. It not only helps the child to bond with the animal, but with you too!

You will have to weigh the pros and cons of obtaining an animal with a small child at home. Many times it is like adding another child since the upkeep and maintenance of an animal is just as complicated as raising a child in many respects. Sometimes it is just better to wait until the child gets older. Remember that young children should never be left unattended with any animal anywhere.

Research the care and various ways of obtaining animals and choose the most humane. Have your child help in this research, and take your time. This instills good animal caring skills and makes it a conscious decision rather than an emotional impulse. It also teaches that animals are not disposable items, but creatures that deserve care and that require a lifetime commitment.

Instruct children in good concepts about animals. These lessons include teaching them about animals as living and feeling creatures who are dependent upon our care of the earth and of them. Inform kids about population control and responsibility of spaying and neutering animals. Teach gentleness and responsibility in having an animal as a family member. This will translate into good caring skills far beyond just the animal issues.

Make sure you teach the value of all animals. Point out that cats are cousins of some of the more wild creatures. Also, you might want to educate children about how the food chain works and how we rely on animals to nourish us. Humane farming and ranching is another important concept to become aware of and teach to your children. Natural pest control, habitat gardening, and recycling are other methods of teaching individual responsibility and care for our homes where a small effort can have a significant impact.

Kids and their attitude toward the environment and the animals in it will determine what the future is for many species. They will be making judgments that will effect not only their future, but the future of others and the animals living in those habitats and locations. By starting early and taking some time and effort you will find that the impact of good animal manners will translate into keeping your child safe and into good manners of living with others, both human and otherwise!