I remember that my grandmother used to love to sit and stare at the aquarium my older brother kept at home. As a teenager, I never really understood how she could just sit there and watch the fish swim for hours. Have you ever done this? Just sit and watch fish swim? Or have you ever been to a large public aquarium and spent way too long in the darkened room with that huge tank holding all the different species of fish and other sea creatures?
It is captivating and actually very relaxing and calming.
Recently, we installed a fish tank at our Child Rescue Center in Thailand. When the girls heard about it they were so excited. In fact, one of them asked if she could purchase her own pet fish to raise in the aquarium. With much joy and anticipation she and one of our ZOE moms bought a fish each to raise in the tank together.
It is a simple aquarium with a good number of fish but it has been so LIFE-giving and restorative for our youth. Not only are they able to sit and enjoy watching the fish, they are also taking ownership and caring for the fish and working together to clean the tank regularly. It’s become a fun family activity that they do together.
Fun fact: Did you know that there are studies that show how watching fish swim in an aquarium can actually help reduce stress and anxiety and help with relaxation?
– Written by Lori-Ann Tsang
6 Comments
I'm glad you talked about how adding a fish aquarium helps build a sense of calmness. My wife and I want to get a pet for our son, but we don't have the right space to get a dog or a cat, so we thought about getting a fish tank. We weren't so sure about it because we thought our son wouldn't care about them, but after reading your piece, we think it could be a good idea after all. We're grateful for sharing your experience about children adopting and working together to care for a fish tank.
Hello Eli, We are so glad that our story was able to inspire you and your family. We hope you enjoy your new fish tank coming soon! I'm sure your son will love it!
Thank you for bringing this center and these lovely, generous people to our attention. Hopefully this will bring them additional support, both financial and emotional.Every animal needs to be taken good care of, given food, shelter and veterinary care, this way humans show commitment towards animals.
Very insightful and thank you very much for such great ideas.
Need help urgently!
I love that you talked about how the kids would also learn how to take care of and take ownership of the fish. I plan to get discount aquariums for my home, and I want my kids to benefit from this as well. It would be the perfect way to teach them to be responsible, so it is great to know that they can definitely learn from having fishes at home.