LATCH KEY KIDS
A study by child psychologist Dr. Lynette Long, sponsored by the Pets Are Wonderful Council, shows that help is available for latch-key kids — in the form of a four-legged friend — the family cat or dog. Kids who have a pet to return home to each day are likely to feel less lonely than those who face an empty dwelling, says Long. Besides being a companion and playmate, a pet can help boost the child’s sense of self-esteem. “Knowing that his dog or cat depends on him makes a child feel needed and wanted,” says Dr. Long. She went on to explain that, “Learning how to care for a pet teaches a child to care for other people.” Pets also can help protect against intruders and are extremely effective in reducing stress. Wilde’s Illustration Service For Ministers, May, 1986.
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