I really thought getting a puppy would teach my kid about commitment and responsibility. When we brought Rocky home, they were over the moon, feeding him, walking him, playing with him constantly. But as the weeks passed, the excitement wore off, and now I’m the one handling everything. Feeding, walking, cleaning up messes, it’s all on me.
I don’t want to just take over and let them off the hook, but I also don’t want Rocky to suffer because an 8 year old doesn’t fully understand long-term responsibility. How do I get them to actually step up?
When my kid begged me for a puppy, I thought it would be a great opportunity to teach responsibility
Omg, this was me last year. My daughter begged for a kitten. She swore up and down she’d take care of him. Fast forward a few months, and guess who’s scooping the litter box? Me. I think the trick is consistency, reminders, schedules, and not letting them off the hook just because they “forget.”
I went through this exact thing when we got our dog. The excitement fades so fast, and suddenly it’s another full-time job on top of everything else we already do as parents. It’s so frustrating because we want them to learn, but we also don’t want the poor animal to be neglected. It’s such a tough balance
I’m dealing with this right now too! My kid loves our puppy, but only when it’s “fun” stuff like playing fetch. As soon as it’s time to clean up after her or take her out when it’s cold, suddenly she’s too tired or “forgot.” How do you actually enforce responsibility without constant nagging?