Pets for Presents

By Mira P.

Hey, everyone! It's December, and everybody's going crazy  for Christmas. The stores are packed, and my neighbors have had lights up since November!

One thing I want to address is a common thing - giving small animals for Christmas presents. It's a fun idea - you wake up on Christmas morning, and go downstairs to find - a puppy! Or maybe a hamster? A fish? What else could a child want - their very own pet! The best Christmas ever!

Now, I'm for both sides on this subject. If you've already discussed the responsibility of a pet, and made sure they want them and will care for them - then that's fun! But I think a lot of time it's just a bad idea. The kid's happy - oh my god, my very own hamster! - then a few days later they're bored, or don't know what to do (or how much of it they'd have to do!).  The excitement is gone and all the work is placed on mom and dad.

You need, I think, to discuss pets with your children before you adopt one. You cannot just adopt a dog and say "surprise! Happy birthday!" In a perfect world, that would be perfect. But one, a dog is a lot of responsibility, even as a family pet. Two, a surprising amount of times, children get something, love it for a few days, a few weeks, hell, a few months, and then they get bored of it. And if the thing they're getting bored of is a dog, a cat, or even a fish? It isn't good.

It's awful when someone adopts a dog (for example), then doesn't keep him or her. A dog is not a pet, but a family member, and you should never give up a family member. A dog is a big decision, it's not really a  "Merry Christmas!" type thing.

What do you guys think? Is a small animal, even something like a fish, appropriate for a Christmas present? And what are you guys planning for your holidays? I personally can't wait to watch Elf on Christmas Eve! :)