![\"kids](\"http:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/kids-pets-300x166.png\")
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(Tom: Beware the false data. IQ is most definitely NOT fixed. It is able to be improved. Twice I have done a detox to remore medical drug remnants, food preservatives, pollutants out of my body. Both times I did a before and after IQ test and both times my IQ went up 5 points asa result of the detox!)<\/p>\n
For those of us who\u2019ve had our lives enriched with new additions to our families\u2014be they our children or new animal companions\u2014it should come as no surprise that the benefits are myriad.<\/p>\n
And for parents, while it may seem like too much work to bring a pet into the family\u2014be it a cat, dog, guinea pig, or fish\u2014the long-term gains of such a decision can far outweigh the costs.<\/p>\n
In fact, studies have shown that children who grow up with pets often enjoy a major boost in terms of Emotional Intelligence or EQ, which can lead to better academic success not to mention an enhanced sense of responsibility, empathy, and a knowledge of the cycle of life that can equip children with a huge leg-up in life skills. As the Washington Post writes, \u201cmore than intelligence, EQ is the best indicator of a child\u2019s likely success in school.\u201d<\/p>\n
And while children\u2019s Intelligence Quotient, or IQ, is believed by experts to be unchangeable, one\u2019s EQ can improve with practice. For children, having an animal friend can provide a great head-start to developing their EQ\u2014which, in turn, can pay dividends in terms of our kids enjoying a greater quality of life further down the road.<\/p>\n