Pet Fish
My daughter has always wanted a pet. We allowed her to buy a Betta [fighter] fish about 2 years ago. At Petsmart they predict the life between 12 - 18 months, and we thought it might be the easiest way out of a long-term commitment 
My daughter named it thee "Thithee thee thithee thee thee thee", yeah the longest name ever 
Anyway, it has survived for more than 2 years in her warmth. Even now, when she calls from India, she asks if I fed her fish, and changed its water. She is so considerate, caring, and thoughtful. I did not realize this until I met a couple of other children who have already unknowingly harassed a long length of pets to death :) Maybe this is how they will learn about the value of life. I feel sad for this, but different people have different ways of teaching their kids, not all have to be the same.
Maybe we should have a license for raising pets too…
