Apr 09 2025 48 mins 29
Are your kids steadily wearing you down on the topic of getting a puppy? Are you convinced that a "low-maintenance" pet like a turtle or fish will be a happy compromise for everyone? Here are some important points to consider if you are thinking about getting a family pet.
Amy and Margaret discuss:
- Their soon-to-be-patented "pet decision matrix"
- Why smaller, "lower maintenance" pets are NOT less work than bigger ones
- How having a pet affects things like family travel, budget, and household labor
Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:
- Malinda Larkin for AVMA: "Pet population continues to increase while pet spending declines"
- Jacob Bogage for The Washington Post: "Americans Adopted Millions of Dogs During the Pandemic. Now What Do We Do With Them?"
Lisa Damour for NYT: "What Do Teenagers Need? Ask the Family Dog"
- View our pet decision matrix!
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What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson.
mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid’s behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent, family pet, family dog, family cat, pet care, getting a pet
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