The idea that infants and toddlers learn from pets is nothing new. However, as with any interaction between children and pets, care must be taken to address any potential issues. Myrna Milani, has written an article detailing how children learn from pets. Using a video clip similar to many found online, Dr. Milani examines the video several times, pointing out that while the video is very cute, there may be more going on than what we see at first glance.

Do you have a story about your child learning from a pet? Post it in the comments below.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, it’s been interesting watching our cat adjust to the baby. Now that our daughter is crawling and standing, the cat remains interested, but typically prefers to watch from a perch somewhere just out of our daughter’s reach. Occasionally there’ll be a moment where she’ll actually tolerate our daughter’s curiosity. Fortunately, she’s very good at these times and, although we watch carefully, she’s never been aggressive, preferring much more to simply get away when the petting turns to grabbing.

We don’t have a dog, but it’s been interesting watching our cat, Lena, adjust to the baby. I gave her a bit of a warning by bringing our daughter’s knit cap home from the hospital the first night. Lena was curious at first, but much more interested in being petted. When we brought our baby home a few days later, Lena disappeared into the basement at the first cry.

Lena’s much better now, but still keeps her distance. Interestingly, she will find us if we don’t respond to our daughter’s cries fast enough for her. I’m curious to see what happens when our baby becomes more mobile…will Lena retreat to the basement again or will she take a more active role as a “babysitter?”