Teach Pet Responsibility to Children by Adopting a Virtual Pet

by Danny Davids⁽³⁹⁾

Your kids are begging you for a pet. Your landlord doesn't allow them, or you have allergies to pet dander, or you don't believe your kids are responsible enough to handle a pet, so you say no. They're crushed and continue fighting for their right to own a pet. The tension grows, tempers flare. Neither side wins.

Why not give your kids a chance to show their responsibility--or learn about it--by letting them raise a virtual pet?

Virtual pets are nothing new. In the late 1990s Bandai introduced Tamagachi, a line of portable electronic " pets " for girls. They were so popular that Tiger Electronics came out with Giga Pets shortly after, designed specifically for boys. Since then virtual pets have showed up in portable devices, in software programs that run on your computer, and now on the Internet, where whole communities of virtual pets co-exist and interact with each other and their " owners " .

While various programs differ in the types of pets offered and the features allowed, all basically involve a child (or adult!) " adopting " a pet, naming it, and taking care of it. The pet requires feeding and attention (playtime) to keep it happy. Some pets can get sick and need to be taken to a doctor or hospital to get well. Pets who are not properly cared for can run away or even die. The best part of these programs? No pooper-scooper required!

For on-line virtual pet sites geared specifically for children, a number of safety measures have been implemented to make sure adults can't impersonate kids and cause problems. Most sites require parents to sign-up their children if they're under a certain age, and many can be password protected so the parent has to enter the password before the child can enter the site. These sites are constantly monitored to make sure interactions between players doesn't become inappropriate.

If you think this might be a good solution for your family, here are some places to start. Folks who want computer-based virtual pets should check out " Dogz! " and " Catz! " by Ubisoft. There are versions for the computer as well as Nintendo hand-held games. Owners of gaming systems like the Wii, Xbox, and PS3 will find virtual pet games available for their systems. On the Internet, sites like Neopets, Verpets, and Marapets will let your child interact with an entire community of virtual pet owners. And if your child has a cell phone, they can download virtual pet software or link to the Internet for many of these sites, keeping their pet with them at all times. (Keep in mind that Internet access charges may apply if you don't have a data package for your child's phone.)

No fur, no food, no walks, no chewed clothing and furniture, and no scooping poop. How great is this for adults? Get into your favorite Internet browser and do a search on " virtual pets for kids " to see the latest options in standalone and on-line virtual pet ownership. And who knows? Maybe you'll adopt one of these pets for yourself!

Article submitted Sunday, March 28, 2010 & read 325 times.

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