If you think you’re better friends with your pet than your brothers and sisters, you are probably right.
A new study says children whose families own pets often feel closer to the animals than they do to their siblings. British researchers studied 12-year-olds from nearly 80 families. The kids reported fewer conflicts with the pets than with their siblings and more fun playing with their pets.
One interesting twist is that girls bonded more with dogs than boys did.
Scientists say it's possible that pets have great influence on children's development and can benefit their social skills as well as their emotional health. The study appears in the "Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology."
Source: Science Alert