; rLf | a —| 4 y a) ; tm fp a 2-8 { | a ; /, a TD ~S - x — j 7, / -_ —x 7 —; Qs)} s =) 7 Oo : Xo F 7s nae a L } Ny : f ae: fe. a y { 17 : ~ 2/2 ’ ‘ / — Pets Help Teach Chldren Lfe Lessons (NAPSA)—Walkng the dog can be an mportant step towards a chld learnng responsblty. So can feedng the cat, takng care of a horse or just about any other task nvolved n carng for a pet. Try these tps for helpng chldren learn from carng for ther pets: Age Matters Try to choose a pet that’s approprate for your chld’s age group. Generally, chldren under 10 are too young to handle dogs and cats, so you may wantto opt for a hamster or a fsh nstead. If you have horses, teach your chld about stable safety at an early age. Tme To Learn Talk wth your chld about the type of pet you have and encourage hm to read a book or two about t. If you have a dog, explan why t’s mportant to properly feed, groom and care for the anmal. Be sure your chld under- stands the responsblty assocated wth ownnga pet. Pay Attenton To Pets The more your chld thnks about pets, the more lkely shes to understand what t means to take care of one. Encourage “pet tme,” where your chld and pet play together. You can even have a famly nght where you watch a move such as “Flcka” together. ate a —_— Pets can help teach chldren responsblty. prove she can one day take over the strugglng ranch. When tragedy strkes, the famly learns to pull together to restore ts hope. The flm, recently released by Twenteth Century Fox Home Entertanment LLC on DVD, focuses on ssues such as responsblty, honesty and famly. Set A Schedule Work wth your chld to set up a caretakng schedule for your pet. Assgn specfc tasks at certan tmes, such as mornng walks or washng and brushng the horse every other evenng. Also, brng your chld wth you when you take your anmal to the vet. That can be a learnng opportunty and t can help your chld understand the mportance of mantanng a pet’s health. Exercse Is Wse The nsprng, comng-of-age story focuses on headstrong, 16-year- Encourage your chld to take your dog for frequent walks—even s to work on her famly’s mountansde horse ranch—but her mportance of exercse for hm and old Katy McLaughln (played by Alson Lohman). All she longs for father (played by country star Tm McGraw) nssts she fnsh boardng school frst. So when Katy fnds a mustangn the hlls, she sets out to tame the horse and when he’s not scheduled for one. Talk to your chld about the hs pet. Your chld may soon see that walkng the dog s a fun way to spend tme wth your pet whle stayng healthy. For more nformaton, vst www.fox.com.
