New approach to the child

Daily interactions between children of all ages and one or more pets certainly play a role in the development and regulation of the child's psychological and psychophysiological processes: they have anxiolytic and calming effects; they provide an escape from fears and inhibitions; they generate feelings of security self-confidence and self-esteem; they stimulate bonding and nurture secure attachment processes; they release the full range of emotions in connection with language; and they reveal and enhance the core competencies that underlie communication systems social interactions cognitive processes and overall brain functioning.