Notes on "Why the Wild Things Are: Animals in the Lives of Children" by Gail F. Melson (not "Nelson")

We're getting better all the time, and our results prove it. Here are notes on a great book we are reading. Why is it often easier to love animals more than people?

• Available (you don't see grandma every day, but you see your pets all the time)
• Nurturing (even boys are allowed to nurture animals)
• Touch
• Non-evaluative
• In the present (and unstructured)
• Intimate dialog 

Noncomplicated relationship

• You are not worried about:
  • Burnout
  • Reciprocity
  • Conflicting demands
• The dog won't give up on them

Note: A child, especially, gets to practice how death works in real life

Benefits of an animal:

• Social lubrication
• Halo effect
• Relaxation response
• Heightened attention (focus)