Your pets and children..

Actually, you could argue that pets are good for teaching kids basic hygiene. Yes, there is a lot of clinical support (not just in Detroit, this is a big issue in pediatrics, and allergy management) for the idea that children's immune systems are better developed by exposure than in a virtually sterile environment, where they don't get the chance to deal with pathogens and allergenic agents. Pets are also a sort of social skill base for kids. They're frequently used as an example of teaching kids about responsibilities in handling their own pets. Also builds some familiarity with domestic animals, and how to handle them. I don't quite get the idea of not playing with pets. What a waste! They're not ornaments. You don't put the dog in a hutch, or take the cat down and dust it occasionally. Why miss all that fun, for the sake of living in a glass case?

as a child i always had a dog, we played with him and loved him a lot but my mom always took care of us taking proper care of cleanliness... he was not allowed on the same beds as we slept.. he had his own bed, whenever we touched and patted him or played with him we had to wash our hands with dettol, he was given a bath with a medicated shampoo every sunday.... i dont have kids yet but when i'll have i will allow them to play with my pet but like my mom, i'll always take care of their hygine first.. and yes you are right children who grow with a pet have less probability of having allergies and moreover living with a pet gives them a sense of responsibility towards animals.. the children when allowed to take pets for walk or when given the duty to feed the pet, develop responsibility taking and fulfilling abilities.

Why wouldn't you let your kids play with the pets? I grew up on a farm and even the bulls were pets. We had pet roosters and chickens and pigs. At one point we even had a peacock. I think kids should be around animals it is good for them and teaches responsibility.

Oh gee, theres no point in having animals if you cannot touch them. I have animals and kids and they are great to gether, the kids know to wash their hands after playing etc...and the house gets vacuumed everyday when the animals are inside. Dirt is good it builds up the childrens immune system, thats a well known fact and has been for many many years.

yet i have no child coz i am single, when i will ace this problem than i will tell u.

I have a new baby and this is a topic I have been thinking about a lot lately. I also have a 2 year old 55 pound dog. Right now I don't allow her on the couch or anything when the baby is there. She can sniff her things and around her but I don't allow her near her face. When my daughter gets old enough I will definitely let them play together. I of course will watch them at all times but I think it's important for the two of them to bond. I couldn't imagine my life without animals and I want my daughter to feel the same way. I see those kids that are terrified of animals because they've never been exposed or have had a negative experience and it breaks my heart. I'm happy to hear the latest research about kids being less ill when exposed, solidifies my decision even more!

oh I forgot to add that fear of dogs is passed down. I have a freind who is terrified of big dogs (she shows fear around them and they chase her go figure) and she is passing that fear onto her kids and grandkids. it is sad. as far as being hygenic I think as long as you clean up after your pets then all should be ok. Now if you don't clean up after your pets well then that is just plain nasty lol.