All By Myself: Taking Care of my Pet (Video)

This video provides an excellent and entertaining means of introducing children to the concept of responsibility toward pets. While there was no specific "instruction" as such, it is probably enough to stimulate children's thinking about the meaning of responsibility, and "Taking Care of my Pet" accomplishes this in a delightful and "kid-friendly" format. I would recommend it to any parent with a pet, or who is thinking of getting a pet, but concerned about her child's role in caring for it.

The video series was created by three "Moms," with the mission of developing self-confidence, independence, and responsibility in young children. Kids are proud of their accomplishments when they can boast that they did something "All By Myself," and taking care of a pet is an excellent example.

The video opens with an introduction by the cute animated host, "Buddy the Ladybug," and his friendly pet, "Squeaky the Pufferdoodle," a droll little fellow with a happy laugh and what looks like colorful smoke signals puffing from the top of his head.

Kids love to watch other kids, and the nicest part of the video is watching the cast of youngsters caring for their pets. A little girl teases her kitten with a feather; another older girl throws a ball into a swimming pool for her two Labrador dogs; a small boy feeds his goldfish; another boy carefully pours water and food into dishes for his dog.

Each segment of the video (on play, grooming, and feeding) is introduced with a lesson from Buddy and Squeaky. Also included is a veterinarian, whose own pets include a Bengal cat and a parrot which sits on his shoulder. He gives a short and friendly talk about the importance of good care for pets.

While the video does not go into any details about care, introducing the concept of responsibility for another being is important for the age group this video targets. "Taking Care of my Pet" provides an outstanding and entertaining medium for that purpose.