How many people own dogs? Crazy question really, isn't it? I bet the answer though would be staggering. The dog has become such a major part of family life that it is almost taken for granted. We see it either sitting in the window waiting for its master to come home, lying on a carpet on a winter's evening, in the warmth of a living room, or running after a ball, thrown by one of its owners.
Why is the dog so popular? Don't know the answer to that. But I guess folk more knowledgeable than I could answer better. I feel it is because they give loyalty without question. They "invade" our homes and almost take over. Correction, they do take over. Like most people, my family had a dog when our kids were younger. We follow the theory that if kids are kind to animals, they in turn will be kind to people. Don't know if that's strictly true, but I like to think so.
There are many ways to keep a dog and buy a dog. Pet shops thrive in most countries and do particularly well around Christmas time. Who can resist an eight-week-old puppy with doleful eyes, head tilted, looking at you and your youngsters. Battle half lost already. On getting him/her home, we have to decide what to do with him. Where will he sleep? What do we feed him? Who takes him a walk?
The answer to the first question realistically is it will sleep inside for as long as you let it. Kids play a part in this. Novelty plays its part as well. It soon sorts itself out though when our new little friend, starts to leave messages all over the house. Then usually, shouting is heard and the animal has its first experience of life on the outside.
As for who takes him for a walk. The kids do naturally for the first three days while they are showing the new house pet to their friends. Then guess who has the job after that? I am sure those of you who have been through this, creep around the house, morning or evening, trying to avoid stirring the dog who is expecting the daily exercise. How do they manage to tell the time?
It is certainly easy to see why the animal aid organisations are pretty well full up after Christmas time, once the novelty of pet ownership wears off. Perhaps I am being a bit harsh. Dogs are such fun and they give so much. Most are very good with kids and I have always found they fit in quite neatly to normal way of life. That is until they decide to rearrange your garden. Don't let anyone tell you that certain breeds don't dig. They all do!!
After all the humour and sometimes after all the shouting, dogs are wonderful company and if our household was anything to go by, when our 14-year-old dog became ill and the awful decision was made about her future, we lost a family member on that fateful day.
Haven't had a dog since - perhaps think about it during retirement, but memories remain and seeing other folk enjoying life and being happy with their pets, gives me a warm glow and quite a bit of nostalgia.
Part Of The Family
As we talked all kinds of ideas came up as to what to do to help kids. It's a tough world out there and kids can use all the help that they can get. If you're looking for some to the point daily inspirations for parents and kids I'm going to help you out.
Go to Matt Furey.com and sign up for Matt's daily psycho-cybernetics inspirations. These daily tips come from Matt's studies of the works of self-image pioneer Dr. Maxwell Maltz. Matt has purchased the rights to all of Maltz's works. It's very powerful material. If you haven't read Dr. Maltz's best selling work psycho-cybernetics you owe it to yourself to get a copy. 35 million copies have been sold and it's a must read for anyone wanting to learn powerful skills to help kids.
Here's my idea-
Sometimes young people have it a bit backwards. Moms and dads do their best to support their kids but it's also important for kids to know that they are responsible for certain things themselves. Young people need to pull their weight on the family team. This involves giving, not just taking, and being a contributing member of the family team. It's easy for kids to get into their own little comfort zone that makes them believe that everyone is there to cater to their needs. At times it's necessary to remind or even shock them back to reality.
In order for the family unit to function effectively each individual on the team must pull a certain amount of their own weight. All members of the house are responsible for certain household chores. Keeping the house clean, keeping one's room clean, taking dinner dishes to the sink, and helping others are all necessary ingredients in being part of a smoothly functioning family team.
The glue that makes all of these things work efficiently is the respect that members of the team have for each other. There is a genuine concern for all members of the team as well as a desire to do what is necessary to create peace and harmony in the family.
Living under the same roof is not an easy task. It is, however, possible and much more attainable when all members of the family are willing to pitch in and realize that it's important to give as well as to receive. Effort, respect, and attitude go a long way to creating a winning family team.
Both Michael Russell & Fred Nicklaus are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Fred Nicklaus has sinced written about articles on various topics from self improvement and motivation, Brain and Aquarium Fish. For tips on raising Rock Solid Kids visit http://www.ConfidentKidsCoach.com for free tips on raising your child to be a leader, and for the fitness training that w. Fred Nicklaus's top article generates over 40500 views. Bookmark Fred Nicklaus to your Favourites.
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