happy national kids and pet day! (and giftcard giveaway)

Ever since we added curly-furred Brady to our family, my kids have been in dog-heaven. Countless times in the last three weeks, Maddy, Owen, and Cora have said,

Our family is so happy to have a dog!

How did we ever find the best dog in the world?

What did we ever do before we had Brady? (I wonder the same thing. . . )

Pets are a lot of work, but they are also great "teaching tools" for our little ones. Even our tinies can learn about responsibility, empathy, and compassion when caring for pets, so yes, we're definitely celebrating National Kids and Pet Day over here!

In honor of National Kids and Pet Day, the Kroger Company is sharing tons of information on pet safety, selecting the right pet for your family, and making sure your family's animal friends are taken care of. And the very cool part of Kroger's National Kids and Pet Campaign is that Kroger has sent me two $20.00 gift cards to give to teach mama readers so they can spoil their pets a bit!

our 'house rules' for loving Guinea and Golden

Here are some important pieces of information that Kroger wants everyone to know--

To promote pet safety, parents can:

• teach their kids to pet softly, to stay away from food dishes and bones, and not to startle your pet while it's sleeping;
• keep babies and toddlers at a higher level than their dog since dogs perceive height as representative of their hierarchy;
  
• not buy dogs toys that resemble their child's stuffed toys or clothing;
• involve their child in their pet's care--even having a child in the room while the pet is receiving a treat or attention can build a positive association to children.

Consider checking out these family-friendly dog breeds:

• Cocker Spaniels are lap dogs that are sensitive and sweet and enjoy the attention of children. They are obedient with training and friendly around people.
• Pugs are affectionate breeds that love being a part of a family. They're outgoing and mischievious, and make playful companions for children.
• Golden Retrievers are similar to labs in personality and are easy to train and are gentle with children. They are mild-mannered and enjoy being around families and other people.
• Basset Hounds are good with children of all ages, although their long backs need to be supported when they are picked up. They are known for their docile nature and gentleness.

Consider Pet Insurance:

• Kroger also offers pet insurance options through PetFirst. Their pet insurance policies cover routine care and medical procedures for dogs and cats, and it's available at more than 2400 stores in the Kroger family, including City Market, Dillon's, Fred Meyer, Frye's, King Sooper, Owen's, Pay Less, OFC, Ralph's, and Smith's.
• Pet insurance can be purchased online at http://www.krogerpersonalfinance.com/pet-insurance/
• Kroger's pet insurance works at any veterinarian nationwide, with a reimbursement typically occurring within two weeks. Coverage starts as low as $9.95/month and right now, individuals who purchase online can save $10.

Now that you've got the skinny on general pet safety, some family-friendly breeds, and keeping your pet healthy, if you're up for scoring one of two $20.00 gift cards to any of the Kroger family stores, here's what you can do:

• simply leave a comment here telling me how you'd pamper your pet with your $20 gift card. (Just remember to leave your email address so I can reach you if you win.)

And for some extra entries, you can:

• subscribe to teach mama; head over and join we teach; add a teach mama or we teach button to your site; join teach mama's Facebook Fan page; or follow teachmama on Twitter. (Just be sure to tell me what you did!)
  

This giveaway will close at midnight on Monday, May 3, 2010.

disclosure: For helping to spread the word about National Kids and Pet Day, I was provided with two $20 gift cards--one to spoil my pet and one to give to a teach mama reader to spoil his or her pet. I'm choosing to give two $20 gift cards to two super-cool teach mama readers because I love them so very much. Thanks to Kroger Co. and Global Influence for supporting this campaign and for providing the gift cards.