This post is sponsored by Swiffer, all opinions are my own. 

Last week was Pet Appreciation Week and I thought it would be fun to share why my husband and I have chosen to be pet owners with our children.

The 3 reasons just might surprise you.

Growing up, I didn’t have a dog or cat in our home. My parents were one hundred percent against it. 

This little girl just didn’t understand why I couldn’t share my heart with a furry friend.

I mean, who doesn’t love animals?

Hmmm, my parents! That’s who!

It wasn’t until I was in high school that I became rebellious. 

I brought home a kitten that I found in the parking lot at our local grocery store. I named her Penelope after this cute kitten that I saw on The Brady Bunch. So for short, we called her Penny.

For some unknown reason, my parents agreed to let me keep her. Needless to say, Penny became part of our family and the rest is history.

Just like most family pets, she continued to reside with my parents when I left for college. Penny and my mom had a love-hate relationship. She enjoyed snuggling with my mom in the evenings when she knitted away baby blankets but would get angry at my mom when she would leave her alone during the day.

To this day, I feel like I missed out by not being able to care for a pet as a young child. I believe all children experience joy and responsibility that comes with owning a pet. 

3 Reasons Why We have chosen to be Pet Owners with Kids

Pets show unconditional love. Whether I’m having the best day of my life or I feel like I want to jump off the nearest bridge, our pets will always, always show their gratitude towards me when I walk in the door. They are seriously anxious to see me. Shamefully, I don’t greet my husband or children in the same enthusiastic manner. I realized I need to show more unconditional love towards my family regardless of what type of day I encountered with my third-grade students. 

Pets Teach Responsibility. Our children are responsible for feeding and walking the dogs on a daily basis. Our furry friends like to go on hikes in order for them to do their business. So whether rain or shine, my children know they must take the dogs for a walk. They agree it’s part of being a pet owner.

Pets Teach Life Lessons. One of the hardest things to experience in life is the loss of a loved one. Over the years, we have lost many pets due to old age, living in the country, and purchasing a puppy with an unknown medical problem. My children have grown to not take our pets for granted and understand just a tad bit more about death. I never experienced the loss of a loved one until I was a young adult. My children have experienced loss and hopefully have gained some insights on how to handle grief in a positive way. 

#Don’tSweatYourPet

Swiffer offers easy-to-use sweeping, mopping, and dusting cleaning tools for virtually every household area. They’re quick and allows us not to sweat our pets so our family can spend less time worrying about the mess and more time playing with our beloved furry friends.

A couple of my favorite Swiffer products

Swiffer Dusters Heavy Duty Pet Refills and Sweeper Dry and Wet Pet Refills with Febreze Odor Defense can help a new pet owner, or long-time pet owners clean less and snuggle more with their beloved furry family members.

I can honestly say, I’m addicted to Swiffer Dusters Heavy Duty Pet Refills and Sweeper Dry and Wet Pet Refills with Febreze Odor Defense. The Sweeper Dry and Wet Pet Refills with Febreze Odor Defense smell absolutely amazing. They help trap dirt and lock hair that accumulates over time in your home from our furry friends effectively. 

I’m a #Swifferfanatic and I can not lie!

It literally takes me minutes to dust my house with the Swiffer Dusters Heavy Duty Pet Refills. In fact, my daughter loves to dust the living room. Each one of my children has their own Swiffer Duster stored in their closets for a quick and easy dust session on Fridays. 

You can purchase Swiffer products at any retailer locations such as Petco. 

Did you grow up with a household pet?