Animals can be real friends for children. They are with them from their first day, they sense when something isn't right and they have that special bond with our little one. It's not easy to explain, but we can see that children consider them to be their best friends.
When we think of our animals, we remember the good times we had with them and the more difficult times when they never left our side.
To try to better understand the relationship between children and animals, we did some research on the subject. The first idea we got was that children like special friends, whether they're small or big, imaginary or even real. In this children's world, animals have an important and special place.
According to Freud, this relationship with animals is important in the child's growth and development, as it is considered a tool for children to begin their discovery and exploration of the strange world of adults. Children see animals as their equals and don't make any kind of separation between what is human nature and animal nature.
Another feature of this special relationship is that several studies indicate that animals actively contribute to children's emotional security. A simple example is that a small caress from a child to a dog causes a significant decrease in the child's heart beat and blood pressure.
If we compare animals with human beings, there are several characteristics that can be pointed out: they don't make judgements about what children say or do, they don't reflect on what may be personal or family difficulties, they don't betray, among others.
One thing we realise is that animals give children a sense of security in releasing their emotions, whether it's sadness, worries or a happy moment. Animals are the true recipients of the various fears, joys, disappointments, annoyances or surprises that children may have. They are able to give structure to the little ones, and their constant contact makes children reveal their emotional state and enable them to develop certain basic skills: visual attention, impulses and interaction, affective behaviour, structured and intentional articulation of gestures.
Throughout our research, another positive aspect of the relationship between animals and children is precisely the development of visual skills. Many of us, when we watch different children's films, realise that animals are a fundamental part of the story and the transformation of the main character. This effect, characterised by the enchanted world, is perfectly influenced by the children's friendship with animals in the real world.
The fascination with what animals can transmit through their looks, and children's courage and innocent curiosity in seeking close interaction with their best friend, leads to a development in their visual ability and learning to fix their gaze on an object. This type of interaction facilitates and reinforces children's visual attention.
In this way, animals play a decisive role in unlocking children's inner worlds and can be very important in supporting children who may have more difficulties.
When we think about our childhood memories with our animals, especially when we remember the fact that both we and they grew up and saw things together, they will always have a feeling that is hard to explain and makes this relationship so special from the emotional side and from the side of our development and growth. It's simply inspiring.
One thing is for sure, children make such natural, obvious and genuine connections with animals, real or imaginary, that their influence on the way the little ones see the world is visible.
A child's interaction with animals is one of the sweetest, most genuine and funniest things we can observe. Only they understand their ways of communicating and there will always be a feeling of protection for each other.
We really enjoyed getting to know this relationship a little better, in such an important period as childhood, where naivety and protection can be so close to each other and make friendships between children and animals a real factor in development and growth for both.
Undoubtedly, this is a relationship that we'll want to explore more, because it's a theme that grows from the myths of stories told to children to everyday life with a simple joke and a caress.
What about you? Do you identify with this relationship that we wanted to share with you today? Do your little ones already have their best friends? Parents with animals at home, what has your children's experience been like? We want to know your opinion.
