How Do You Teach Toddlers Animal Safety?
Teaching toddlers animal safety is tricky. On the one hand, you want your child to love animals. On the other hand, you want to make sure that the child is kept safe around animals. Take the time to talk to your child about pet safety and do a little role-playing. Practice “nice touching” for animals. Do this by engaging in a little role-play using stuffed animals. Show the child how to pat dogs lightly and to stay away from the dog’s ears, eyes, mouth, and tail. You can also let the child to act the part of “Fido” while you do the patting—and then reverse roles. Explain that some cats don’t like to be patted at all. Explain to your child that you will not allow him or her to play alone with a dog or cat—no matter how well the child knows the animal (and no matter how much the child begs). Tell your child what to do if he or she is alone and does encounter a strange dog: 1. Explain that he should walk away calmly–and never run.2. If the child thinks the dog might hurt him, he should a