When you get a household pet, you have the perfect opportunity to start teaching your child about the responsibilities of pet ownership. Here are some simple chores and tasks your child can take on based on their age. 

Toddlers

Toddlers have less dexterity and mobility than older children, so they shouldn’t be given any complex tasks. At this age, you should teach your child how to be gentle with the pet. Never leave a child this age alone with a dog or cat.

Children Between 3-6 Years Old

At this age, your child should have a better understanding of how to interact safely and respectfully with your pet. Your child can start helping out with grooming, feeding, watering, and play as long as they are supervised. 

Children Between 7-12 Years Old

By the time your child is seven, they should be a part of all of the tasks related to pet ownership, even if they aren’t completely responsible for them yet. If your child is between 7-12 years old, they can come along on dog walks, help bathe and groom the pet, and be fully responsible for mealtime and refilling the water bowl. Maintain some level of supervision over your child, however, to make sure they and your pet are safe. 

Children 13 and Older

If your child is 13 or older, they should be responsible enough to take on sole responsibility and ownership of many of your pet-related chores. Create a chore wheel or task list to keep track of who is in charge of what, and check in with your child daily to make sure they are staying on top of their tasks. 

Before you bring a new pet home, you should take it to the veterinarian for a check-up. You can bring your child along on this visit so they can start learning about responsible pet ownership.