PARENTS SHOULD THINK BEFORE GRANTING CHILD'S WISH FOR PET

The best advice I can give to a reluctant parent feeling the
pressure of a child begging for a pet is this: Just say "no."
Why the hard line? Because I don't want to get a letter from
your child when you decide you've made a mistake. The ones I
get now are breaking my heart.

We don't like to say no to our children. Some might argue that
ours is an era of indulgence, with consequences that are just
beginning to show, but that's for a writer with expertise in
children to say. Mine is in pets, and every day I hear from
children who are already paying the price for overindulgent
parents: Another family's poorly chosen, poorly trained and
mostly ignored pet is heading for the shelter -- and a child
is heartbroken.

Maybe the parents decide the inconvenience isn't worth it.
Maybe they escalated a tug-of-war into threats they must now
make good: "If you don't clean the litter box (walk the dog,
feed the guinea pig, etc.), your pet is leaving!" In any case,
this is the stage when I get the e-mail, typically titled
"HELP!" with enough exclamation points to fill out the rest
of the subject line. The e-mail is usually something like
this: "Gina, please, please, please! Tell me how to get our
dog to stop jumping up, or my mom is getting rid of him!! You
gotta help me!!!"

By the time I hear about it, it's usually too late.

------------------------------------------------------------
       !!!!   TIRED? RUNDOWN? FATIGUE EASY?    !!!!

INCREASE YOUR ENERGY LEVELS NATURALLY! 500 year old Natural
product will restore energy & libido!  100% SAFE & Natural.
Immediate RESULTS or your MONEY BACK! For Men & Women
Click below for more info at HEALTH4HER.COM
http://www.health4her.com/news16.cgi?233605&sid=pmve011

<a href="http://www.health4her.com/news16.cgi?233605&sid=pmve011">
Click Here</a>
------------------------------------------------------------

Although parents fixate on the idea of responsibility, that
may well be the least of life's lessons a pet can help a child
to learn. Pets offer unconditional love, and they're always
there to listen. They teach compassion and gentleness, and
the importance of caring for something weaker than yourself.
Even in death, a pet can teach a child by laying the groundwork
for handling the losses we all have to live with. But they
cannot teach these lessons without the help of a parent. And
that help starts long before a pet comes into the home.

If you're contemplating adding a pet to your household, let
some time pass before the trip to the adoption center. Pets
should never be an impulse purchase! You need to make sure
your child's interest isn't a passing thing. If your child
starts soccer and doesn't like it, the equipment she needed
can sit in a closet without any attention at all. A pet isn't
like that. It's a living, feeling being that cannot be shoved
aside in favor of the next interest. Let your child "try on"
pets. Take in the classroom hamster for the weekend, or
baby-sit a neighbor's dog. Talk with your child and make sure
he understands a pet isn't the same as a video game or other
"object."

Once you think your child might be ready for a pet, be clear
on what you can and can't handle. A dog seems to be the Holy
Grail of children's pets, but a lot of families are just too
busy to handle the time and effort involved in raising and 
keeping one. Put aside your emotion and ignore the begging.
Figure out which animal is the best fit for your household,
even if it's not the pet of your child's dreams. Instead of
a large-breed puppy, consider a smaller adult dog, perhaps.
Cats are a better choice for many households, as are rabbits,
rats or guinea pigs, or small birds such as cockatiels.

------------------------------------------------------------
  ** GREETING CARDS CAN REALLY LIFT SOMEONE'S SPIRIT **
Imagine what a greeting card with PHOTOS can do! Use FREE
Photo Greeting Cards to make your friends laugh, keep your
grandma smiling, or make your lover blush! Be creative, be
touching, just be you. Send your Halloween Greetings too!

          http://www.zing.com/z?e40c108z11

AOL: <a href="http://www.zing.com/z?e40c108z11">Click Here</a>
------------------------------------------------------------

Consider honestly the pet's care requirements. And realize
that although your child can help with pet upkeep, the final
responsibility falls on your shoulders. Don't threaten your
child with the loss of the pet -- it's inhumane! Give children
the chores they can handle, and follow up to see that they're
done.

Above all, set a good example. If your pet has a problem, get
help and work on it. You're doing considerable damage when you
"throw away" a problem pet, teaching your child that a living
thing can be treated like yesterday's newspaper. Think about
the messages your action convey.

Pets are wonderful for children, but only if parents do their
part. Don't say yes to a pet until you're sure you can handle
it.

------------------------------------------------------------
            Questions? Comments? Email us at:
                mailto:pet@gophercentral.com
-----------------------------------------------------------
Want to advertise in this or any other GopherCentral publication?
Email us at: mailto:ads@gophercentral.com
***********************************************************

To UNSUBSCRIBE visit:
http://af3.gophercentral.com/unsub/pet.html
***********************************************************

To SUBSCRIBE visit:
http://af3.gophercentral.com/sub/sub-pet.html
-----------------------------------------------------------

Want some Fun and Amusements in your email box FREE! Visit:

                      gophercentral.com 
                http://af3.gophercentral.com

-----------------------------------------------------------
            AOL USERS HERE ARE YOUR LINKS!
-----------------------------------------------------------
<a href="http://af3.gophercentral.com/sub/sub-pet.html">
Subscribe to Pet Connection</a>
<a href="http://af3.gophercentral.com/unsub/pet.html">
Unsubscribe from Pet Connection</a>
<a href="http://af3.gophercentral.com">
Click Here for FREE Newsletters</a>
<a href="http://www.filmquotes.com/trivia.html">
Trivia - Win Cash & Prizes</a>
<a href="http://af3.gophercentral.com/winners.html">
Click Here To See If YOU Are The Weekly Winner</a>

****************************************************
END OF PET CONNECTION
Copyright 1999 by PENN LLC. All rights reserved.
Feel free to forward this, in its entirety, to others.

This feature may not be reproduced or distributed
electronically, in print or otherwise without written
permission of Universal New Media and Universal Press
Syndicate. COPYRIGHT 1999 UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE