It is my belief that every child should have the opportunity to experience the connections and calm Nature and animals have to offer.

We all have our go to triggers which remind us to stay still and just breathe. For me it is the cooing of the wood pigeon high up in the trees, the gentle rhythmic munching of a pony eating grass and the steady purr of a cat as it dozes in the dancing sunlight.

I was lucky enough to grow up in the beautiful English countryside surrounded by woods and animals. Our household was always one where as well as human members the term family extended to the dog, cat, pony, guinea pig, chickens and a pet lamb!

If I ever had a worry there was always a furry pair of ears willing to listen.

For me then it was about having a friend and confident, someone who listened without judgement. Now as a mother, early years professional and AAT facilitator I can see the real value of these special connections animals can offer children. Especially in this hectic sometimes crazy roundabout of life we constantly find ourselves on.

This personally was highlighted for me when the roundabout stopped with the arrival of   Covid-19. My youngest son found the fear of the first lockdown a very anxious time. He would wake each morning and complain of a stomach ache. This cycle went on for a couple of weeks, with no obvious physical cause. Then one evening one of our cats, who until that point would never usually ask to sleep on our beds, started to hang around my son’s bedroom door.

As soon as my son got into bed she curled up right next to him. It was like she could sense that he needed the extra reassurance at that time. He would fall asleep to the relaxing rhythm of her purr and the soft sensory touch of her fur as he stroked her before sleep. The cat did this for him every night thereafter through lockdown and we didn’t hear any more complaints of stomach aches. He just needed the extra security of something consistent at this time and somehow she (the cat) knew this.

Animals in general if given the chance are far more empathetic and in tune with us than we are with each other.

Another fantastic example of this now is the use of assistance dogs particularly in the area of autistic children.

We as adults all know how important it is to try and stay mindful, to look out for our mental well being, especially as our lives seem to be lived at an ever increasing pace. This is no different for children as our lives get busier so do theirs. We work longer hours they have to do longer hours be it in school, after school care, childcare, out of school clubs, holiday clubs the list of what we expect them to partake in is endless. When do they get the time to breathe, to be mindful and to just be?!?!?

This is why in my working practice I try and incorporate at least one fully outdoor session a week in a lovely little natural area we have access to. This gives the children an opportunity to connect with Nature, be themselves, explore their environment, listen to the birds and still their minds from the pressure and questions asked of them in a classroom environment.

In an ideal world I would love for all children to experience and have access to the connections owning a pet or friendship with an animal provides.

While I appreciate that this is not possible for many families, it is something that I believe should be available through our educational system.

Many programs are available, like reading dogs in school, school farms and some schools have resident therapy animals or regular therapy animal visits, but these opportunities and services are few and far between.

These programs do not need to be complex to be effective. We have managed it in our preschool classroom with a pet fish “Gary”.  The presence of Gary the fish helps children with empathy, turn taking, responsibility and decompressing if it all gets a bit overwhelming in the classroom environment. This is an area which has various studies and research to back up its benefits, yet for me it was my personal experience with my son which has made me appreciate the four legged members of my family even more.

We all, regardless of our access to animals though, should remind ourselves and our children to be still, breathe and listen for the wood pigeon or blackbird or whoever it may be speaking reassurance to us from high up in their tree.