Top 10 pets for Children | And the link to business success

We all know and have heard about the amazing and profound benefits a cuddly companion can have on your child’s overall wellbeing and confidence, not to mention instilling a sense of responsibility. But what you might not be so aware of, is how caring for a pet can help children later in life, contributing profoundly to professional and financial success.

We all want our children to become successful adults, and to give them the responsibility of owning and caring for a pet, but with all the choices available it can be hard to know what the best pets for children are, so we’ve compiled the top 10 pets to fit your every need.

Dogs are good pets for kids as they can offer amazing companionship as well as helping them develop skills around responsibility, discipline, and problem-solving. Dog’s rely heavily on non-verbal communication with their owners, helping children increase their emotional intelligence. As dogs are active animals, they encourage physical activity and promote a healthy lifestyle. Training dogs also cultivates patience, persistence, and adaptability. Some of the best dogs for kids include the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Labrador Retriever.

With a delicate nature, cats teach children how to be gentle and considerate. Although cats can be very independent, there is still lots to be learned for children when caring for one. Emotional intelligence, communication, problem-solving and non-verbal communication are all honed whilst caring for cats, as they are wonderful communicators. You’ll always know exactly how your cat is feeling! Some of the best cats for children include the Maine Coon and the Ragdoll.

Don’t let their size fool you, hamsters are full of personality and full of learning opportunities for any child. Caring for a hamster teaches responsibility, routine, empathy, and gentle handling. Children can also develop observational skills, by being able to closely monitor behaviors, and resilience through experiences like loss, as a hamster's life span is typically only around 2-3 years. The best hamster for kids would be the Syrian hamster.

Being a small size children learn how to handle gerbils gently, teaching them empathy as well as responsibility and the importance of routine. Gerbils have a friendly nature, teaching children patience, calmness and keen observation skills.

Although small, gerbils do love to move around allowing children to learn adaptability as well as encouraging physical activity. With a life span of 5-8 years, gerbils are excellent companions through a child’s younger life.

Despite being social creatures, guinea pigs have a very gentle nature. They encourage creative thinking through imaginative play. However, they also teach children how to respect the vulnerability of an animal that needs gentle handling. Guinea pigs only need to be fed their pellets once a day, making them a great pet to learn responsibility while still being low maintenance. Guinea pigs are the perfect option to ease younger children into the responsibilities of being a pet owner with a shorter lifespan of 5-7 years.

With low costs and low maintenance with minimal grooming needs - they are perfect for forgetful children! Mice can become attached to their owners and with their surprisingly social and interactive nature; mice enjoy playing, making them a fun and loving pet that brings life and adventure to a home! Mice also exhibit fascinating behaviors such as grooming, nesting and foraging, increasing your child’s observational skills, but can also be an educational experience. As fun as mice are, they do have a shorter life span of 1-3 years, teaching your child about loss quite early on in their pet journey.

As highly cognitive pets and the only animal with the ability to mimic words and phrases, parrots are extremely fun and help children with their cognitive development. Parrots form close bonds with their owners making loving this pet an emotionally fulfilling experience. If you’re looking for a life-long companion, parrots are the best bet as they tend to have long lifespans stretching over that help children with adaptability and reasoning as parrots have complex needs, behaviors and even personalities that help owners gain more understanding. However, as noisy creatures it’s important to recognise that parrots are a high maintenance pet. They need ample space to move around, they require long commitment and specialized care for their physical and emotional wellbeing.

With a playful and social nature, budgies are perfect for playing with children as budgies form close bonds with their owners and enjoy interacting with them. Budgies are excellent at learning new tricks and mimicking sounds. As intelligent birds, they help children develop their cognitive ability. As loving birds, budgies are a source of comfort, producing pleasant chirping and singing sounds. Although relatively low maintenance, budgies are social birds and are prone to loneliness so it may be worth buying two or more budgies to help look after their emotional wellbeing. Budgies have a large lifespan, however they require daily care. From cleaning its cage, providing fresh food and water as well as daily mental stimulation through toys and interaction.

Keeping a fish can be a great choice for people with varying lifestyles.

Not requiring the grooming, walking or even regular playtime as other pets may, fish are incredibly low maintenance. Aside from the intermittent tank cleaning, looking after a fish is relatively easy. Watching a fish swim is a calm and soothing experience, making fish one of the more peaceful pets to invest in! Fish provide an enriching education experience for children, where they can learn about aquatic ecosystems, biology and the responsibility of caring for a creature that survives in a different environment from humans. When it comes to choosing the right fish, you are spoilt for choice in being able to meet all your needs. Coming in various species, you can choose a fish for bigger or smaller spaces and with lifespans varying between a few years to decades.

No need for walks or grooming and with a straightforward diet, reptiles are a low maintenance way for children to gain a sense of responsibility. As quiet creatures, you don’t need to worry about noise or finding your reptile chewing on a shoe - they are generally calm animals. Truly fascinating animals, reptiles exhibit captivating behaviours from basking to shedding and hunting, making it a great learning experience for your children. With a longer lifespan, you get to enjoy the companionship of your reptile for a longer period of time. Although reptiles don’t take much to look after, they do require specialized environments to survive, such as the correct humidity, temperature and lighting. They also have varying temperaments, often preferring not to be handled so they may not be the best choice for a cuddle!