The Art of Parenting

The Art Of Parenting

Lailani Reyes

18 January 2021

Parenting is the art of nurturing a child [1] and hopefully, for the fur baby of the family as well. As the saying goes, there’s a first time for everything. These first times may lead to unforgettable memories; bitter-sweet ones, perhaps or ones that may leave you with a feeling of nostalgia. We can’t deny that we want to be fur parents; who wouldn’t fall for the charms of the adorable fluff balls that bring bundles of joy to us?

Caring for a pet may be overwhelming at first; like a mountain of tasks you might consider giving up on. But when you look on the bright side, reflecting on the first time you held your fur baby in your arms and seeing how much you have grown with it in the time you have shared together is very fulfilling. Not everyone can be a fur parent; be it as a child or an adult because there are a lot of factors that have to be taken into consideration when adopting a feline, pooch, or any animal in general. For the following reasons, being discouraged is likely. But. fret not because we have a few tips that might help a first-time fur parent!

The first reason people are discouraged to adopt a furry friend is self-doubt. We can not deny the fact that we always doubt ourselves; we tend to always question our capabilities which in turn, results to fear. But have we realized that the fear fades as time forms a connection or a bond with our fur babies? Maybe or maybe not but I’m sure that this moment is one of the greatest things in life.

The second reason may be our parents. We Filipinos have this culture of staying with our parents even if we are grown-ups. Thus, resulting in limited things that we can do, especially in terms of adopting animals. The reason for this may be because of an awful experience or a certain belief about pets, which brings me to the third reason.

Alarming experiences can also cause people to question their ability to parent a furry friend. This is a huge problem in considering having a fur baby because people with alarming experiences may already have a bad impression on adoption, which may cause them to divert to pessimism regarding the whole idea of caring for an animal.

Now that the reasons people are discouraged to adopt were further explained, here are some of the things that you should take into consideration when you plan to adopt:

First, consider adopting in a shelter rather than buying from a pet shop. This is the very first step in having your own fur baby. Of course, we can not deny the fact that we tend to buy animals in a pet shop rather than adopting because we are afraid of adult ones because they didn’t grow up with us, another stigma that our society has. However, there are also cats and dogs in dire need of healthy homes. So, next time you consider getting a pet, rather than shopping, adopt instead!

Of course, we all should familiarize ourselves with those certain animals to understand them and provide the love and care that they deserve. However, it is also important to remember that everyone makes mistakes and nothing is wrong with that. It will be a huge help for us to be a better person, especially a better fur parent. We should learn continuously for us to have a meaningful life with our fur babies. Be strong and admit our mistakes because that’s one of the personalities we, fur parents should always maintain.

[1] Chand, Hemlata, and Singh, Ritu. “Concious Parenting: An Art of Parenting.” G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, 2016. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306569048_Concious_Parenting_An_Art_of_Parenting#:~:text=Parenting%20is%20the%20art%20of,meet%20the%20needs%20of%20children.&text=Modern%20parents%20have%20to%20maintain,children%20and%20changing%20family%20system.