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I remember as a child being the “odd” ball in my family. My mom and sister LOVED horses, I was a reader. They went to horse shows on the weekends, talked horse stuff, and enjoyed each others love for the four-legged creatures. Again, I was a reader. My mom never intentionally left me out, we just didn’t share that passion.
Fast forward a few years and I now have a child who loves to read, and one who loves animals. I totally relate with my reader, my animal lover… not so much! However, I remember not having that shared passion with my mom, and I want to do my best to nurture her love for animals, despite the fact that most furry creatures make me cringe. I want to be passionate about HER, and with her comes her love for animals.
So, how am I raising an animal lover, when I dislike animals?
I Invest In Books
She enjoys reading any non fiction book out there, as long as it’s about animals. We have rows and rows of books about seals, sharks, dolphins, rabbits, you name it, we have it! When we go to the library she heads to the animal section, and I never push her to check out other books . I know her passion, and I am investing in it.
I Listen Even When I’m Not Interested
Kristen can ramble off animal facts like no one else. Most of the time, I could care less.. BUT, she cares, a LOT. So, I listen. If she comes to me now with her passions and I don’t listen, I know at some point she will quit coming to me. I do not want that to happen. Ever. I want her to know she can tell me whatever she wants, and that I will be there.
We Feed Her Desires
When we go on vacations, or family events, we know she will want to go see animals, or read about animals, or learn about animals. And, we feed that desire. We took a trip to the creation museum for her 4th birthday because she was fascinated with dinosaurs. When we go out-of-state we find a zoo or aquarium so she can see creatures she may not have otherwise seen. We have also chosen to use a Zoology Science Curriculum to help her learn more about God’s creatures.
We Believe in Her
My middle has a strong desire to be a vet someday, and I truly believe she can reach that goal. However, she may never get there if we don’t believe in her. Would it be easier to brush her interests under a rug? Of course! My husband and I neither are huge animal fans. But, what would that do to her? It would kill that desire that she has, and we believe that God can use her and her passion for animals for His glory.
Raising an animal lover, when we do not love animals has not always been easy. Her passion for animals has led us to keeping strays a little longer than we would have liked, it has also led us to becoming 4-H parents. We have watched a dozen more documentaries then we ever planned on watching, but embracing this passion has also allowed us to relate to our daughter in ways that we may not have other wise been able to.
If you have a child who has a passion you may not understand, I encourage you to find a way to relate with that child. It may not be easy, but believe me, it will be worth it!
Want more tips on how to grow a….. check out the other topics from my friends at iHN!
Ha! My daughter is SET on running an animal shelter our home when she’s old enough. I’m hoping she changes her mind……
Ha Ha not a day goes by my daughter doesn’t ask for a pet. She has a fish…
These are great tips. My husband has to deal with a house full of animals lovers (plus two rabbits and a Yorkie, and the occasional foster puppy), but he’s understood how important it was for our kids to do projects that were important to them.
Oh, I know! We have talked about getting a cow, or chickens. Just haven’t took the plunge yet!
Thanks for stopping by!
Awe, thank you so much for your kind words! And, it sounds like your FIL is a keeper 😉
I love that you are being intentional about guiding and encouraging your daughter to her interests! One thing I love about my father-in-law is that even as an Engineerer/Basketball Player he completely supported and accepted that my husband wanted to pursue music and church ministry! These things were not in his realm at all, but because of his support, my husband was able to go hard after his dreams! Way to go, mama, and thank you for linking up with Tuesday Talk!
~Andrea
This is great. My son is only 3, but he loves our dog. I am at best, apathetic towards him. lol We will see how he feels about animals as he gets older though. I think I would feel differently towards an animal if it contributed to me somehow – haha. Like, I would enjoy getting chickens someday because they would give eggs. We will see!
My daughters dog is Emma, an adorable beagle that was give to us after my papaw died when she was 2. She has loved that dog since day 1, and even did dog training classes last year. We never commit to more animals, but deal with the dumps as they come in. Some we have kept for awhile, some we haven’t. Where we live we seriously get dumped on 2-4 times a year. It’s sad 🙁
This is delightful.
I love dogs but I’m allergic to cats. My daughter desperately wants a Golden Retriever but I keep on saying after our current dog, Maverick, is gone, we won’t be getting any more dogs. However, I’m trying to encourage her interest and love for dogs through humane society research and involvement. We may end up with another dog eventually….
Thanks for sharing.
xoxo
We have 2 cats and one dog, and yes everytime one gets dumped on us we keep it till it gets a nice home (away from ours). She is so compassionate when it comes to animals, not so much with humans…. lol!
Awwww! What a great post. Nice pics. My daughter would have every stray that walked in our yard if I let her. She has one cat and we have 2 outdoor dogs.