Seeing the Sibling as a Pet
My older boys see their younger brothers as pets. No, really. They are constantly petting them and wanting to take them for walks and playing with them. I try, over and over again, to explain to them that their younger brothers are not dogs and that they have to treat them as people, but it's just not exactly working. I am learning from this one thing - it looks like my boys want a dog! But, since I don't want to invest in an animal for them, I'm going to have todfine other creative outlets for their animal cravings. Let's look at a few ideas.
1. The zoo - I try to take my boys to the zoo as often as possible. This way, they can get their animal fix without inflicting pain upon their brothers and without bringing anything into the house. It works for a few days...and then they are back to throwing sticks at their brothers.
2. Neighbor Animals - Our neighbor has two dogs and I send my boys over there whenever I can. They walk their dogs, and play with them and it seems to curb their appetite for a short while.
3. Turtles - Ok , so I can't invest in a large pet right now, but I have given in to turtles. My boys find turtles in the neighborhood often, and I do let them bring them home. While they aren't cuddly or furry, they do seem to satiate a little bit of the boys' appetite for something to look after.
And that's how I handle the constant question, "Can we get a dog" and how I deal with the fact that my boys have turned their brothers into family pets. It's working this week...who knows what next week will bring!
