This is a sponsored post on behalf of PetSmart. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Is your family considering a fish for your child’s first pet? Check out five reasons we think a fish is an awesome first pet for your child! Also, be sure to click here to check out great items to get your new pet set up!

 

1. Having a pet fish teaches a child responsibility.

 

A pet fish has been the perfect way to ease our children into taking on a more responsible role in the family. Feeding the fish daily, changing its water, and cleaning its tank and accessories are all essential to a fish pet parent. Developing these habits (even with a lot of parental assistance) is an important step in gradually giving more responsibility to our kids.

 

 

I also created a printable “Did you feed your fish today?” schedule that you can laminate and have your child use a dry-erase marker to mark each day that they feed their fish.

 

Download the printable here or click on the image below.

 

2. Having a pet fish teaches a child to think of someone/something in addition to themselves.

Once our kids realize that another living thing is dependent on them for survival, they begin to take pride and ownership in caring for their pet. Having a pet teaches a child compassion and how to have a nurturing spirit.

 

3. Having a pet fish teaches compromise and teamwork between siblings.

Our first hurdle after purchasing our fish was deciding on its name. Our boys had very different opinions on what the fish should be named… and eventually they both had to brainstorm and compromise to find a name for the fish that they were both happy with. The boys settled on the name “Speedichu”, a combination of “Speedy” and “Pikachu” (from one child’s newfound fascination of Pokemon). As much as I dislike the fish’s name, I had to bite my tongue and be proud that they had worked together and found a name they both liked. ☺

 

 

In addition to compromising on the name, our children will also be taking turns feeding the fish daily and changing the water weekly. They must both work together to care for our new family pet!

 

 

4. Having a pet fish is a small investment in regards to time and money in comparison to every other type of pet.

 

I love dogs. And when we lost our sweet Sagie dog a few years ago, we were all devastated. But I do not miss dog hair all over my house, nor do I miss giant piles of poop in my backyard. Most of all, I don’t miss having to spend over $200 every time she went to the veterinarian. Fish are lower maintenance and much less expensive to care for than other types of pets.

 

 

5. Having a pet fish teaches a child that death is a natural part of life.

 

A fish will inevitably die. After all, an average lifespan for a betta fish is two years. As morbid as this sounds and as much as we want to protect our children from pain, this fact helps children to see that death is a part of life. Chances are, children are going to lose someone close to them throughout the course of growing up. Having a small loss, like losing a pet fish (even if it seems huge at the time), helps a child to recognize the process of grief.

 

 

 

Does your family have a pet fish? How has it benefited your child?