Pets, pets, and more pets! So, my 9 year old daughter loves animals. After our dog died right prior to the initial COVID lockdowns a couple years ago, she has been crying for a pet. I did not want to have another dog because of course, it’s a huge responsibility. I remember growing up with guinea pigs and they make lovely pets, so I agreed to get her that. So, we got her a guinea pig, but then of course, she reports that we need to have two because it’s better for the one to have a companion. So, ended up getting two guinea pigs. Anna loves them. Months go by with the two guinea pigs. Amazingly, my daughter shows me she can be very responsible, she changes the cages all by herself, gives it water, the food, everything. I was proud. But, then, she continued to cry for a puppy. I gave in, the kids came up with many reasons as to why we should have a puppy. Some of those reasons were-my son, 14 years old says, “we get a puppy to teach me responsibility” to which I answered, “hey, I thought it was show me responsibility and then, I get you the puppy….” My daughter says that “it’s good for physical and mental health, it lowers stress level and gets you exercising.” I thought it was opposite because added responsibility, added stress, and exhaustion. Nonetheless, now, we ended up with two guinea pigs and a puppy. I love animals, too, and although it is an added responsibility, I have to say that seeing the kids playing with him has been such a joy. Anna loves Charlie! He is a bit on the larger side, but super cuddly and fun to hug. Meet Charlie, an addition to our family!
~Raquel