Having pets is good for your children!

So I have had pets in my life from before I can even remember.  You name it I have had them!Dogs, Cats, Turtles, Fish, Budgies, Guinea Pigs, Rabbits and probably lots I have failed to remember.  I am thankful to my family for allowing me to grow up around all my different animals and think looking back it was a great teaching experience for myself as a child.

The love of animals is something that has stayed with me through the years.  I was so excited this morning when I opened my email and received the following and wanted to share with everyone.

courtesy of SparkPeople

Kids who grow up with pets in the house are less prone to allergies and asthma than kids who grow up in a pet free home. Here are the details of what the latest studies have found:

• For a newborn or a child without pet allergies, having multiple pets that spend time each day indoors decreases the risk of allergies, eczema, and possibly even asthma.
• The number of pets is inversely proportional to the incidence of allergies--an increase in your pet population equals a decrease in allergies.
• Unfortunately pets can't help a child who has allergies to things besides pets, but they won't hurt, either.
• If a child has allergies to pets, then having pets in the house will only make their symptoms worse.

Besides providing health benefits, pets can help kids learn to be responsible, gentle and kind. Plus, if you've ever seen a child cracking up at the sight of a bouncy dog, you know how much fun pets can be!

If your looking at including your pet into your workout you'll want to check out their current article:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=519