Sometimes hurting animals can become a pattern for kids. Not because they want to inflict harm, but because it has such a fun reaction! The cat jumps and hisses, the adults jump up and sound angry - how exciting!!

It's important that we stay kind and calm and put boundaries in place that we uphold. This may mean putting animals in another space and monitoring all interactions. "I'm going to help you to pat Fluffy gently! She likes being scratched around her ears". "I won't let you pull Scruffy's ears, I'm going to move Scruffy away now". Being consistent shows our kids we mean business. Being calm removes all the excitement and fun feedback when they hurt animals.

Don't forget that wild animals deserve respect too and the erratic movements of kids can scare them. Teaching children to keep their distance and move carefully around animals will generalise to animals big and small - setting them up to be safe and nurturing adults.

Is your little one kind to your pets? Let me know below.

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