Read this article published in the November 2012 issue of Infobébés magazine.

The close bond that develops between our children and their pets challenges our social and relational codes. And yet, this particularly beneficial attachment plays a key role in children’s discovery of themselves and the world. Here’s a closer look at a relationship marked by emotion and intensity.

It‘s decided! Faced with pressure from your older children, you’ve agreed to adopt a small dog to complete the merry band. If this project finally meets with unanimous approval, you’ll need to prepare it well. Welcoming a new animal to your child, or a new child to your animal, needs to be carefully thought through. A child, like a pet, can be jealous of a new arrival. Both are likely to suffer from frustrations linked to a lack of attention and interaction. Whatever the case, it’s important to take the time to introduce them to each other as soon as they arrive. Invite the animal to sniff and lick the child, as olfaction plays a key role in establishing attachment. Then move the animal slightly away from your child, so that he or she can get a full view of it. Make sure he doesn’t grab the animal’s fur or bang it on the head at first contact. Then, gradually, invite the child to feed him, stroke him and call him. All these behaviours of offering and soliciting will help create a quality bond between the two protagonists.

He’s her role model!

The two of them are finally getting used to each other – phew! It’s the start of a long story. Your little friend will identify with his furry friend, just as he might with a superhero. Everything his companion does, he’ll experience: the way he plays with a ball, devours a piece of cheese, or falls asleep snuggled up against the arm of the sofa. Without any scruples, your puppy considers his companion to be his equal. So much so, in fact, that he feels more like his pet than you, who remain an enigma in his eyes. The adult world, of which he understands only a tiny part, escapes him. Conversely, the world of animals is within his reach, in the sense that it mobilizes the sensory, emotional and affective sphere more than the intellectual. Thanks to this identification, your child builds his own personality, gradually experiments with new activities in the company of his best friend, and gains confidence in his own actions.

He is her accomplice, her confidant

And that’s not all! If this natural identification is beneficial, their complicity is no less so. Your child seems to have an innate ability to understand his companion, and to be understood in return. Unlike adults, their communication is largely non-verbal. Looks, caresses, smells, laughs, cries – these are all signals that your Mattéo will send to his companion. This complicity will help your cherub to overcome his social inhibitions.  » Stéphanie is a very shy little girl who hardly dares answer the questions adults ask her. On the other hand, she spends a lot of time whispering secrets into our dog’s ear. says Emmanuela, mother of four-year-old Stéphanie (via Internet). The animal becomes an outlet: its eyes can see everything and its ears can hear everything, without ever repeating anything. A loyal four-legged companion also provides a lasting attachment. Because unlike his little next-door neighbor or Margot, his older sister, his pet will always be available and receptive to his requests. This stability provides your little darling with a degree of emotional security, essential for his or her independence. And it’s precisely during playtime that their complicity will be most intense…

He enriches his game

If playing is fully beneficial to your little one’s development, playing with an animal will be even more so. Its presence stimulates your child’s inventiveness and sparks off new games that would be unthinkable if he were on his own.  » Ever since he was old enough to run, my son and his cat have had a lot of fun chasing each other around the apartment. It’s a spectacle of sliding across the floor and endless laughter! « confides Emilie, mother of Tom, 4 (Hautes-Alpes). Many children set out to conquer an unknown space, or experiment with new bodily postures, in the presence of their partner. Children find within themselves the resources they need to surpass themselves and overcome their fears. These episodes of muscular play encourage their psychomotor development and the construction of their body schema. The animal, as a play partner, cultivates your little human’s creativity. Unlike a doll or stuffed toy, the animal reacts to your child’s requests, and sometimes even goes one step further. In this way, your child experiences what it means to be alive. The course and outcome of the game depend not only on his will, but also on his companion’s reactions. The dog’s moving flank becomes an unexpected earthquake, and the cat’s sudden entry into the room the appearance of a sacred tiger in the middle of the jungle!

It boosts the immune system

It turns out that the animal’s benefits are also physiological. In July 2012, Finnish researchers discovered that very young children who were in daily contact with a dog or cat were less prone to ear disease and respiratory ailments (coughing, wheezing, rhinitis and fever) than other children. And the benefit was greatest when the child spent more than six hours a day with an animal. To arrive at these conclusions, the researchers studied the daily lives of 397 children from their ^9th to their ^52nd week! The key to this mystery? A strengthened immune system, whose responses would be more effective and lead to shorter episodes of infection. This study reinforces the conclusions of an earlier study, which found that children living on farms in the countryside fell less ill than children living in the countryside without animals.

It can also scare him

Despite all the benefits of having a four-legged companion, your little one may be afraid of them. This fear may have been acquired by your child through an unpleasant experience with an animal, or simply inherited from you, his parents. In this case, fear is a learning process, the result of careful observation of your own reactions. For example, if, as soon as you see a horse, you make a puzzled pout, squeeze your little Chloé’s hand tighter and forbid her to go near it, your daughter may unconsciously develop the same fear of horses as you do. The line between a healthy fear and a pathological one is hard to draw. However, if your child develops an exaggerated fear of a situation or an animal that is not objectively dangerous (a rabbit or a bird, for example), this is more likely to be a phobia. In this case, it’s important to reassure your child:  » I could tell you were scared of the birds in the square. But you know they’re not going to hurt you, and they’re scared of you too. Look, as soon as you come near them, they fly away. « Don’t hesitate to accompany your child into contact with the animal in question, unless, of course, you sense real danger.

As you can see, the relationship that develops between an animal and a child is a rich one, with obvious benefits for your little one. So, if you yourself feel capable of caring for such a companion until his or her last breath, don’t hesitate to take the plunge. After all, if a pet is good for a toddler, it’s good for the parents too!

Thanks to Hubert Montagner, former University Professor, Director of Research at INSERM and author of « L’enfant et l’animal, les émotions qui libèrent l’intelligence » (ed. Odile Jacob, 2002).

Professional advice: how do you know if he’s allergic?

Allergies to pets are not uncommon. And cats alone are responsible for two-thirds of them. The warning signs are grouped together in the ABCDaire® of allergic rhinitis: A for « Sneezy », B for blocked nose, C for runny nose, D for itching, E for irritability and F for fatigue. It is essential to confirm the diagnosis with tests. In the event of allergy, few families get rid of the pet, given the mutual attachment. The best thing to do is to limit the cat’s presence and eliminate allergens as far as possible. There are, however, therapeutic anti-allergy solutions available.

Doctor Nhân PHAM-THI

Pneumo Allergo Pediatrician, practicing at Hôpital Necker des Enfants Malades, Paris.

Animals, omnipresent in a child’s world

From the very first hours of life, the animal is by your child’s side. It’s represented in many ways: on his first onesie, his first plate, his first blanket. Animals are a natural part of a toddler’s imagination. As for the traditional stuffed animal, it’s always appreciated, with every child owning an average of five, most of them bears. Soft and reassuring, they act as a substitute in your absence.

Practical advice: how to choose the right companion?

* For children under 3, avoid adopting a large animal. Small mammals are preferable. The rabbit, whose behavioral register is rudimentary, cultivates extraordinary contacts with young children.

* Avoid animals that are too small, such as hamsters, chicks or mice: in an outpouring of affection, the child runs the risk of suffocating them by hugging them too tightly.

* Some animals are better suited to children than others, such as Labradors, whose tolerance to children’s hair-pulling and poking is far superior to that of cats. However, there is no universal rule: an animal’s patience depends largely on its history. To adopt an animal, it’s best to take it into a family whose dog, cat or rabbit has just had puppies. The warm, humane environment in which the animal lives will be beneficial to its socialization.