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Pets or No Pets for Your Family?

 I have an important question for all my fellow homeschoolers...


 Pets or no pets? 


This is actually a serious question. For so many reasons!

Pets are a big commitment. They add a lot to our lives, and to our homeschools, too, I suppose. But they require a lot as well. 
It's not a one-size-fits-all thing, this question of pets or no pets.

And not all pets are created equal.
Dogs require a lot more work than, say, goldfish.
An ant farm can be part of science for the homeschool family, but can a slew of ants be considered pets? (rhetorical question - we all know the answer). 

So, are you a pet-loving homeschool family? Do you have your own personal version of a hobby farm? 

Maybe, like our family, severe allergies limit what kinds of pets are a viable option. 
If so, did you find a workaround that allowed your children to enjoy some form of pet in spite of allergies or other concerns?

Pets or no pets?

Pets that have a long life-span, or shorter?

If you've come to the end of your time as pet owners, would you say it was worth it, or did the hard outweigh the happy?

I'm guessing there are some homeschoolers who are kicking around the pet idea and your comments may well give them the input and info they need to make the best possible decision for their family.

As for us, we had the typical garden variety of pets throughout the years...and some pets turned out to be non-options due to extreme allergies that triggered life-threatening asthma. 
No cats or gerbils or birds for us. Instead, we had fish, hamsters, and three pugs. 
And it was a lot of work, but overall I have to say that our children were blessed to grow up with pets, they did learn a fair bit about responsibility by caring for their pets, and now that they are all adults, they reflect back with fond memories of their pets, in particular the three dogs (squat little pugs) we raised from puppyhood onward. (We still have one living pug who is almost 15 years old - and here is a recent pic of the old fella.)






What's your take on the pet question? And what's your best advice for homeschoolers who are considering getting a pet? Leave your comments because inquiring minds want to know!

~ Jan

Also, I'm blessed to be the prayer coordinator for an upcoming online homeschool summit. If you'd like to check it out, here's a link for info and for a free pass. If you sign up, please let me know you read this blog post when I "see" you there! 



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